endosymbioticadj.
/ˌɛndəʊsɪmbʌɪˈɒtɪk/, /ˌɛndəʊsɪmbɪˈɒtɪk/, U.S. /ˈˌɛndoʊˌsɪmbaɪˈɑdɪk/, /ˌɛndoʊˌsɪmbiˈɑdik/ Biology.
Of, relating to, or exhibiting endosymbiosis.
ΚΠ
1956 Systematic Zool. 5 91/1 Their common lack of a mouth..is of secondary importance, having doubtless come about in parallel with their adaptation to an endosymbiotic existence.
1989 Nature 26 Jan. 380/1 It is generally accepted that chloroplasts arose from one or more endosymbiotic events.
1997 G. S. Helfman et al. Diversity of Fishes xviii. 332/1 Unlike insects and many herbivorous vertebrates, fishes also generally lack endosymbiotic bacteria and other microbes that aid in digestion of plant matter.
Derivatives
ˌendosymbiˈotically adv. through or as a result of endosymbiosis.
ΚΠ
1977 Ann. Rev. Ecol. & Systematics 8 38 If the characteristic organelles of the eukaryotic cells indeed represent endosymbiotically simplified prokaryocytes.., it is not difficult to continue the process of simplification to the level of a poxvirus.
1996 Proc. National Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93 14621/2 A concentrated search for endosymbiotically-derived genes..may help to decide which groups, if any, truly never had mitochondria.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, December 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1956