androgamone
|an-dro-ga-mone|
🇺🇸
/ˌændroʊˈɡæmoʊn/
🇬🇧
/ˌændrəˈɡæməʊn/
male gamete attractant
Etymology
'androgamone' originates from Greek, specifically the words 'andro-' meaning 'male' and 'gamone' from 'gamos' meaning 'marriage' or 'union.'
'androgamone' was formed in modern scientific English by combining Greek roots to describe a substance involved in the union of male and female gametes.
Initially, it referred specifically to substances produced by male gametes to attract female gametes, and this meaning has remained consistent in scientific usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a chemical substance produced by male gametes (such as sperm) that can attract female gametes (such as eggs), especially in lower organisms like algae or fungi.
The release of androgamone by the sperm helps guide the egg during fertilization in some algae.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/03 20:51