endogenous
adjective
Did you know?
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
Megan McIntyre, Allure, 26 Feb. 2025
Scientists think that the endogenous opioid system evolved, in part, to push animals toward behaviors that aided the species’ survival.
—Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Endorphins, released during exercise, are one type of endogenous opioid.
—Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Following the discovery of endogenous creatine synthesis in the human brain, research quickly moved to understand what role this compound plays in things like cognition and mood.
—Rich Haridy, New Atlas, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for endogenous
Cite this Entry
“Endogenous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endogenous. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
endogenous
adjective
Share