In biology and specifically, genetics, the term hybrid has several meanings, all referring to the offspring of sexual reproduction.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word is derived from Latin hybrida, meaning the "offspring of an tame sow and a wild boar", "child of a freeman and slave", etc. The term entered into popular use in English in the 19th century, though examples of its use have been found from the early 17th century.
Interspecific hybrids are bred by mating two species, normally from within the same genus. The offspring display traits and characteristics of both parents. The offspring of an interspecific cross are very often sterile; thus, hybrid sterility prevents the movement of genes from one species to the other, keeping both species distinct. Sterility is often attributed to the different number of chromosomes the two species have, for example donkeys have 62 chromosomes, while horses have 64 chromosomes, and mules and hinnies have 63 chromosomes. Mules, hinnies, and other normally sterile interspecific hybrids cannot produce viable gametes, because differences in chromosome structure prevent appropriate pairing and segregation during meiosis, meiosis is disrupted, and viable sperm and eggs are not formed. However, fertility in female mules has been reported with a donkey as the father.
