A
parent is a caretaker of the
offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is of a child (where "child" refers to offspring, not necessarily age). A
biological parent consists of a person whose
gamete resulted in a child, a male through the sperm, and a female through the ovum. Parents are first-degree relatives and have 50% genetic meet. A female can also become a parent through
surrogacy. Some parents may be
adoptive parents, who nurture and raise an offspring, but are not actually biologically related to the child.
Orphans without adoptive parents can be raised by their grandparents or other family members.