Castration

Castration is any action, <a href="/facts/Surgery/fG8tWf5Y">surgical</a>, <a href="/facts/Chemical_substance/EWcXU41d">chemical</a>, or otherwise, by which a <a href="/facts/Male/tl3uj6Y7">male</a> loses use of the <a href="/facts/Testicles/Doy40hoq">testicles</a>: the male <a href="/facts/Gonad/36BUam2x">gonad</a>. Surgical castration is bilateral <a href="/facts/Orchiectomy/KE8DgC3z">orchiectomy</a> (excision of both testicles), while <a href="/facts/Chemical_castration/rXe5PoC0">chemical castration</a> uses <a href="/facts/Pharmaceutical_drug/h9mhwWP2">pharmaceutical drugs</a> to deactivate the testes. Some forms of castration cause <a href="/facts/Sterilization_(medicine)/q2YYTfB1">sterilization</a> (permanently preventing the castrated person or animal from <a href="/facts/Reproduction/nNu0F5Dy">reproducing</a>); it also greatly reduces the production of <a href="/facts/Hormone/WFnBnINJ">hormones</a>, such as <a href="/facts/Testosterone/uUumdhAz">testosterone</a> and <a href="/facts/Estrogen/dPEewnDV">estrogen</a>. Surgical castration in animals is often called <a href="/facts/Neutering/fzgLXjq1">neutering</a>.
Castration of animals is intended to favor a desired development of the animal or of its habits, as an <a href="/facts/Anaphrodisiac/EgEmNvKR">anaphrodisiac</a> or to prevent <a href="/facts/Overpopulation/gIz6l0KQ">overpopulation</a>. The parallel of castration for female animals is <a href="/facts/Spaying/fzgLXjq1">spaying</a>. Castration may also refer medically to <a href="/facts/Oophorectomy/npGMfV5u">oophorectomy</a> in female humans and animals.
The term castration may also be sometimes used to refer to <a href="/facts/Emasculation/0nazL2P5">emasculation</a> where both the testicles and the penis are removed together. In some cultures, and in some translations, no distinction is made between the two.

Castration open-in-new

Castration