What does autogamy mean?
Autogamy is a biological term describing reproduction in which an organism fertilizes itself rather than mating with another individual. In botany it refers chiefly to self-pollination, where a flower's own pollen fertilizes its ovules, allowing a solitary plant to produce seed even in the absence of pollinators or nearby mates. In microbiology, autogamy describes a striking process seen in certain ciliates such as Paramecium, in which nuclei within a single cell undergo meiosis and fuse with each other, giving the organism the genetic reshuffling benefits of sex without a partner. The word derives from Greek roots meaning "self-marriage" and sits at the opposite end of the spectrum from allogamy, or cross-fertilization. While biologically efficient — guaranteeing reproduction — autogamy reduces genetic diversity, which can leave lineages vulnerable to environmental change. It remains a precise, specialist term encountered mainly in textbooks and research literature.
nounSelf-fertilization: reproduction in which a cell or organism fuses with another of its own kind derived from itself, as when a flower is pollinated by its own pollen or a protozoan fuses with its own nuclear products.
- In botany, self-pollination or self-fertilization within a single flower or plant.
- In protozoology, the process in certain ciliates (such as Paramecium) in which haploid nuclei from a single individual fuse to restore diploidy, effectively sexual reproduction with oneself.
"Because the plant relies on autogamy, a single isolated individual can produce viable seed without any pollinator."
"Strict autogamy ensures that the rare orchid can set seed even on the most remote cliff ledge."
"Under starvation conditions, the Paramecium culture entered autogamy, reorganizing its genetic material without a partner."
The plural is grammatically valid but uncommon; autogamy is normally treated as an uncountable mass noun referring to a type of reproductive process.
"Different lineages of the ciliate exhibit distinct autogamies under laboratory conditions."
Some single-celled organisms literally clone their own sex life — autogamy lets a lone paramecium shuffle its genes by mating with itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of autogamy
Autogamy comes from the Greek elements auto-, meaning "self", and gamos, meaning "marriage" or "union" — literally "self-union". It was coined in the nineteenth century alongside related scientific terms built on the same Greek root, such as allogamy, monogamy, and polygamy, all of which describe forms of union or pairing. The same root also gave English the word gamete. The term was adopted first in botany for self-fertilization in plants and later extended to protozoology for nuclear self-fusion in ciliates.
Related word forms
How autogamy is actually used
Autogamy is a technical term confined to biology — botany for flowering plants and microbiology for ciliate protozoa — and would sound out of place in general conversation. It carries no emotional connotation; it is purely descriptive. Writers sometimes use it figuratively for self-contained processes, but this extended use is rare.
Easily confused with autogamy
Autonomy means independence or self-governance, whereas autogamy is the biological process of self-fertilization.
Allogamy is fertilization involving gametes from different individuals, the direct opposite of autogamy's self-fusion.