Isogametic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing organisms that produce gametes which are morphologically identical in size and shape, typically of the same form in reproduction; relating to a sexual reproduction system where gametes are indistinguishable; characterizing species whose reproductive cells cannot be differentiated by appearance or function
2. Pertaining to species in which reproductive cells are similar in form and size, leading to equal gametes involved in fertilization; indicating a reproductive strategy where the gametes are uniform rather than distinct types; identifying organisms whose male and female gametes share identical morphology
3. Referring to the condition of having gametes that are alike in shape and dimension within a species' sexual reproduction; denoting a biological system producing gametes without morphological distinction; specifying the nature of gametes that show no differentiation in physical characteristics across sexes

Etymology: Isogametic describes organisms whose reproductive cells, called gametes, look alike in size and shape, so that neither partner can be told apart as "male" or "female" by appearance alone. The word is built from the Greek prefix "iso-", meaning "equal" or "same", attached to "gametic", the adjective from "gamete". That second element comes from the Greek "gametes", a husband, or "gametēs", a spouse, from "gamos", marriage, a root that also gave English words such as "monogamy". The prefix is the easy part. The more revealing history lies in the word's purpose: it was coined by biologists to draw a line between two kinds of sexual reproduction. In isogamy, both partners contribute identical-looking cells, while in anisogamy the cells differ, usually one large and one small. Isogametic therefore names a specific condition rather than a general idea of sameness. It appears in descriptions of many algae and fungi, where the distinction is central to understanding how sex evolved.

Synonyms: homogametic

Antonyms: heterogametic