heterogeˈnetic, a.
[f. prec.: cf. genetic a.]
1. Biol. Of or pertaining to, or characterized by, heterogenesis or heterogeny.
| 1872 Proc. R. Soc. XX. 264 The living units combine, they undergo molecular rearrangements, and the result of such a process of heterogenetic biocrasis is the appearance of larger and more complex organisms. 1874 Contemp. Rev. XXIII. 709 All the related heterogenetic phenomena. 1897 Allbutt Syst. Med. II. 1041 Giles holds that A. duodenale may become sexually mature while outside the body and in the free state; in other words, that it is heterogenetic. |
2. a. Philos. Relating to external origination.
| 1887 Whittaker in Mind XII. 289 Prof. Wundt calls his own theory of the will ‘the autogenetic theory’, opposing it to ‘the ordinary or heterogenetic theory’. |
b. Med. Of a disease: produced by infection from outside the body.
| 1890 in Billings Med. Dict. |
3. Path. [ad. G. heterogenetisch (Friedberger & Schiff 1913, in Berl. klin. Wochenschr. 25 Aug. 1558/1).] = heterophile a. 1.
| 1918 C. H. Browning Appl. Bacteriol. x. 175 ‘Heterogenetic’ antibodies (Friedberger). Ibid. 176 The capacity to produce a positive Wassermann reaction is probably a somewhat similar heterogenetic phenomenon. 1920 Jrnl. Path. & Bacteriol. XXIII. 364 The injection of organs of certain animals into rabbits leads to the development of ‘heterogenetic’ immune body for sheep's blood corpuscles. The tissues which act in this way are called ‘heterogenetic antigens’. 1944 Jrnl. Exper. Med. LXXIX. 556 A heterogenetic antibody showing fixation of complement with human liver and agglutination of sheep erythrocytes was found in certain cases of acute infective hepatitis. |