An unfertilized egg in horses is referred to as what?

An unfertilized egg in horses is known as an ovum. This term specifically refers to the egg cell produced by the female's ovaries during the reproductive cycle. The ovum is the gamete that, when fertilized by a sperm cell, can lead to the development of an embryo. Understanding this term is critical in the context of horse reproduction, as it represents the initial stage before fertilization occurs.

In the context of reproductive terminology, the ovarian follicle is the structure that contains the developing ovum, but it is not the ovum itself. An embryo is formed after fertilization takes place, when the sperm and ovum combine and begin to develop. A zygote is the fertilized egg that results from the union of a sperm and an ovum, which occurs subsequently to the ovum stage. Therefore, the correct identification of an unfertilized egg as an ovum helps clarify the stages of reproduction in horses.