endógena

Endógena is a feminine adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese to indicate that something originates from within a system, organism, or substance, rather than from outside (exógena). It is applied across fields to distinguish internal sources from external ones, and it is often paired with its antonym exógena.

In biology and medicine, endógena describes substances or processes produced inside the organism. Examples include endogenous hormones such as insulin and cortisol, endogenous neurotransmitters such as endorphins, and internal signaling pathways. Endogenous factors can influence health and disease, and the term is commonly used to contrast internal sources with exogenous factors such as medications, pathogens, or environmental toxins.

In geology and earth sciences, endógena refers to processes originating within the Earth. These include tectonic activity, magmatism, metamorphism, and crustal deformation, which are driven by internal heat and dynamics. This is contrasted with exógena processes such as weathering, erosion, and sedimentation, which are driven by surface conditions and external forces like climate.

Etymology: endógena comes from Greek endon meaning within and genes meaning produced. The corresponding English term is endogenous; in Spanish and Portuguese, endógena (feminine) is used to describe a within-origin context in various disciplines.