To reproduce means to make a copy of something or to create new life.

When a photocopier reproduces a document, it makes an exact duplicate. When an artist reproduces a famous painting, she creates a new version that looks like the original. Museums sell reproductions of masterpieces: printed copies that let people enjoy the artwork at home, even though they're not the original paintings.

In biology, reproduce means something different but related: it describes how living things create offspring. Plants reproduce by making seeds. Animals reproduce by having babies. Bacteria reproduce by splitting in half, creating two identical bacteria where there was once one. Every living thing you see exists because its parents could reproduce.

Scientists who study reproduction learn how different species create new generations. Some animals, like rabbits, reproduce quickly and have many offspring. Others, like elephants, reproduce slowly and have few babies. The word reproductive describes anything related to this process, like the reproductive system.

Whether you're talking about copying a photograph or a bird laying eggs, reproduction is fundamentally about making more of something that already exists.