endogenous
adjective
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When biologists need to make a distinction between things that are produced within a cell or organ and things that affect it from the outside, they use the terms endogenous and exogenous. It used to be thought, for instance, that mutations in cells always resulted from exogenous causes, until it was discovered that substances in the body, including those called oxidants, could cause them endogenously as well. "Circadian rhythms"—the regular cycles, roughly 24 hours in length, that plants, animals, and humans rely on to regulate their days—are endogenously generated and don't actually depend on the sun for their timing.
Examples of endogenous in a Sentence
Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 2 Oct. 2023
Seven more human genes were added to reduce the likelihood of later rejection, and 59 genes related to porcine endogenous retroviruses were inactivated to eliminate the chance that the viruses could jump from pig to person.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
Mainstream endogenous growth models link technological improvements with the pool of resources that are thrown at solving problems.
—Quora, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
It’s believed to work by activating endogenous TGF-beta 1, which is a protein that affects cell growth and division.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
This is in part because of the pathogen cargo such organs can transfer: Most pigs carry endogenous retroviruses, which can in theory lead to unpredictable illnesses in human recipients.
—Elizabeth Svoboda, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2023
If so, that would strengthen the case for a subsurface ocean origin, as Enceladus’ vapor also contains some of the same salts found on the surface of Ganymede, and these salts are considered endogenous.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023
An additional 59 edits were made to some of the donor animals to inactivate endogenous retroviruses, which are found in pig DNA.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 11 Oct. 2023
The porcine genome contains 40 to 70 copies of DNA from porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERV) that are harmless to modern pigs but could be reactivated in humans.
—Shi En Kim, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2023
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“Endogenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endogenous. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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endogenous
adjective
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