heterogamous
|het-er-o-gam-ous|
/ˌhɛtərəˈɡeɪməs/
different kinds of mating/union
Etymology
'heterogamous' originates from Greek, specifically from the elements 'hetero-' and 'gamos', where 'hetero-' meant 'different' and 'gamos' meant 'marriage' or 'union'.
'heterogamous' comes via New Latin/Scientific Latin formations (e.g. 'heterogamus') from Greek 'heterogamos' and was adopted into English in its modern adjectival form 'heterogamous'.
Initially the components pointed simply to 'different union' or 'different pairing', but over time the term became specialized in biology to mean 'involving dissimilar sexual types, gametes, or reproductive forms.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
relating to or characterized by heterogamy: involving dissimilar types in sexual union or reproduction (e.g., gametes of different sizes or sexes).
Many algae species are heterogamous, producing both small motile and large nonmotile gametes.
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Adjective 2
in botany or life cycles, having different forms or types in alternate generations or producing different types of flowers/structures (e.g., male and female flowers distinct).
The species is heterogamous: some individuals bear only male flowers while others bear only female flowers.
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Last updated: 2025/09/17 15:25