Heterogamy is a term applied to a variety of distinct phenomena in different scientific domains. Usually having to do with some kind of difference, "hetero", in reproduction, "gamy". See below for more specific senses.

Science

Reproductive biology

In reproductive biology, heterogamy is the alternation of differently organized generations, applied to the alternation between

parthenogenetic Parthenogenesis (; from the Greek grc, παρθένος, translit=parthénos, lit=virgin, label=none + grc, γένεσις, translit=génesis, lit=creation, label=none) is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and developmen ...

and a

sexual Sex is the biological distinction of an organism between male and female. Sex or SEX may also refer to: Biology and behaviour *Animal sexual behaviour **Copulation (zoology) **Human sexual activity **Non-penetrative sex, or sexual outercourse ** ...

generation. This type of heterogamy occurs for example in some

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

s. Alternately, ''heterogamy'' or ''heterogamous'' is often used as a synonym of

heterogametic Heterogametic sex (digametic sex) refers to the individuals of a species in which the sex chromosomes are not the same. For example, in humans, males with an X and a Y sex chromosome would be referred to as the heterogametic sex, and females ...

, meaning the presence of two unlike chromosomes in a sex.. For example,

XY male The XY sex-determination system is a sex-determination system used to classify many mammals, including humans, some insects (''Drosophila''), some snakes, some fish (guppy, guppies), and some plants (''Ginkgo'' tree). In this system, the sex of ...

s and ZW females are called the heterogamous sex.

Cell biology

cell biology Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...

, heterogamy is a synonym of

anisogamy Different forms of anisogamy: A) anisogamy of motile cells, B) egg_cell.html"_;"title="oogamy_(egg_cell">oogamy_(egg_cell_and_sperm_cell),_C)_anisogamy_of_non-motile_cells_(egg_cell_and_spermatia)..html" ;"title="egg_cell_and_sperm_cell.html" ;" ...

, the condition of having differently sized male and female

gamete A gamete (; , ultimately ) is a haploid cell that fuses with