Ace the FFA Vet Science CDE 2025 – Cultivate Your Future in Animal Care!

A freemartin is a sterile female calf that is born as a twin to a male calf. This phenomenon occurs because the male twin's hormones can affect the development of the female twin in utero, leading to abnormalities in her reproductive system. Specifically, the presence of male hormones, such as testosterone, can inhibit the proper development of the female's reproductive organs, often resulting in underdeveloped ovaries and a lack of uterine function, making the freemartin incapable of reproduction.

The other choices do not accurately describe a freemartin. The process of ova production refers to oogenesis and is unrelated to the concept of a freemartin. A respiratory viral disease associated with infertility does not specifically define a freemartin, and the condition where one or both testicles remain within the body cavity pertains to cryptorchidism, which is not relevant to the definition of a freemartin.