endogenous

American  

[en-doj-uh-nuhs] / ɛnˈdɒdʒ ə nəs /

adjective

1. proceeding from within; derived internally.

2. Biology. growing or developing from within; originating within.

3. Pathology. (of a disease) resulting from conditions within the organism rather than externally caused.

4. Biochemistry. pertaining to the metabolism of nitrogenous elements of cells and tissues.

5. Geology. endogenetic.

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endogenous British  

/ ɛnˈdɒdʒɪnəs /

adjective

1. biology developing or originating within an organism or part of an organism

   endogenous rhythms

2. having no apparent external cause

   endogenous depression

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endogenous Scientific  

/ ĕn-dŏj′ə-nəs /

1. Originating or produced within an organism, tissue, or cell.

2. Compare exogenous

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Other Word Forms

• endogenicity noun
• endogenously adverb
• endogeny noun

Etymology

Origin of endogenous

First recorded in 1825–35; endo- + -genous

Example Sentences

For patients with Type 2 diabetes, for people whose endogenous GLP-1 signaling is impaired, they represent a meaningful advance.

From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026

"We needed a tool to do that exploration to understand which variants are functional in their endogenous genomic context and understand how they contribute to disease progression."

From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2025

Economists after Solow, particularly Robert Lucas and Paul Romer, had models of economic growth with endogenous technological change.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025

But those worldviews are not just endogenous to groups.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2025

The woods are principally eucalypti, as might be supposed, but endogenous trees are found toward the north, and are shown.

From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science, Volume 22. October, 1878. by Various

Related Words

• internal
• remote