Allogenic

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌæləˈd͡ʒɛnɪk/

Definitions

1. Relating to biological elements or influences that arise from another organism or species
2. Involving materials or factors that are sourced from a genetically heterogeneous individual within the same species
3. Relating to biological entities or factors derived from a different organism rather than the immediate host or species

Etymology: "Allogenic" is a technical coinage built from two Greek-derived parts. The first, "allo-", comes from Greek "allos", meaning "other" or "another", the same root that gives "allergy" its sense of a reaction to something foreign to the body. The second, "-genic", comes from Greek "-genēs" and the related "-genic" suffix, meaning "producing" or "originating from," as in "pathogenic" or "photogenic." Joined together, the word literally means "originating from something other," and it is used in biology and related fields to describe things that come from a different species. Because it is a modern scientific formation assembled from classical building blocks, it has no ancient Greek usage. Writers and scientists put the pieces together as needed, following the pattern used to create many technical terms in English, so the word reflects deliberate construction rather than an evolution through common speech.

Synonyms: foreign, alien, extrinsic

Antonyms: autogenic, native, intrinsic