Xeno- (prefix)


Xenoantigen — An antigen that is found in more than one species.
Xenograft — A surgical graft of tissue from one species an unlike species, genus or family.
Xenotransplantation — Transplantation from one species to a foreign one, e.g., the heart transplant from a baboon to Baby Fae in 1984 in Loma Linda, California.
Xenotropic virus — A virus that can grow in the cells of a species foreign to the normal host species.

The origin of “xeno-” is from the Late Latin, from Greek, from “xenos” meaning stranger, guest, or host. Xeno- and xen- are variant forms of the same prefix.

Read Also:

  • Xenoantigen

    An antigen that is found in more than one species. An antigen is something that is capable of inducing an immune response. The prefix “xeno-” means foreign or other. It comes from the Greek “xenos” meaning stranger, guest, or host.

  • Xenobiotic

    Natural substances that are foreign to the body.

  • Xenograft

    A surgical graft of tissue from one species to an unlike species (or genus or family). A graft from a baboon to a human is a xenograft. The prefix “xeno-” means foreign. It comes from the Greek word “xenos” meaning stranger, guest, or host. (Xeno- and xen- are variant forms of the same prefix.)

  • Xenotransplantation

    Transplantation from one species to another (for example, from a baboon to a human).

  • Xenotropic virus

    A virus that can grow in the cells of a species foreign to the normal host species, a species different from that which normally hosts it. Xeno- means foreign while -tropic refers to growth. So xeno- + -tropic = capable of growing in a foreign environment.


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