An organism or individual that belongs to a heterogonic species, meaning it reproduces through alternating generations with different forms.
From Greek 'hetero-' (different) and 'gone' (generation), combining to mean 'differently generated.' This term evolved in 19th-century biology to describe species that don't reproduce the same way in every generation.
Some parasitic worms are heterogones—they can reproduce both sexually and asexually in different life stages, which is why they're so hard to eliminate with single treatments. It's nature's backup plan!
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