Main article: Mama and papaThe proverbial "first word" of an infant often sounds like "ma" or "mama". This strong association of that sound with "mother" has persisted in nearly every language on eart ...
Throughout history mothers with their children have often been the subject of artistic works, such as paintings, sculptures or writings.Fourth century grave reliefs on the island of Rhodos depicted mo ...
Main article: MatricideIn early human history there have been many instances of mother-offspring conflicts. For example:Amastris, queen of Heraclea, was drowned by her two sons in 284 BC.Cleopatra III ...
Nearly all world religions define tasks or roles for mothers through either religious law or through the glorification of mothers who served in substantial religious events. There are many examples of ...
Main article: Maternal mortalitySub-Saharan African countries carry the highest risks in terms of maternal and infant mortality and health.A maternal death is defined by WHO as "the death of a woman w ...
See also: Sociology of motherhoodSikkimese mother with childMonumento a la Madre in Mexico City. The inscription translates as "To her who loves us before she meets us".Historically, the role of women ...
Mother can often apply to a woman other than the biological parent, especially if she fulfills the main social role in raising the child. This is commonly either an adoptive mother or a stepmother (th ...
In the case of a mammal such as a human, a pregnant woman gestates a fertilized ovum (the "egg"). A fetus develops from the viable fertilized ovum, resulting in an embryo. Gestation occurs in the woma ...
The modern English word is from Middle English moder, from Old English mōdor, from Proto-Germanic *mōdēr (cf. East Frisian muur, Dutch moeder, German Mutter), from Proto-Indo-European *méh?tēr ( ...
A mother (or mum/mom/mam) is a woman who has raised a child, given birth to a child, and/or supplied the egg which in union with a sperm grew into a child. The definition can also be extended to non-h ...
The human bonding process is the sharing of time, talent and treasure. The sharing cultivates relationships which can range in depth from a social acquaintance to enduring love.; Indeed, it has been s ...
In 1976, sociologist Diane Vaughan proposed an uncoupling theory. It states that during the dynamics of relationship breakup, there exists a "turning point," only noted in hindsight, followed by a tra ...
Main article: Interpersonal tiesWeak-strong-ties.svgIn 1962, while a freshman history major at Harvard, Mark Granovetter became enamored of the concepts underlying the classic chemistry lecture in whi ...
There is evidence in a variety of species that the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin are involved in the bonding process, and in other forms of prosocial and reproductive behavior. Both chemicals faci ...