Heterogamy is a term applied to a variety of distinct phenomena in different scientific domains.
Alternately, heterogamy or heterogamous is often used as a synonym of heterogametic, meaning the presence of two unlike chromosomes in a sex.
[3][4] For example, XY males and ZW females are called the heterogamous sex.
In cell biology, heterogamy is a synonym of anisogamy, the condition of having differently sized male and female gametes produced by different sexes or mating types in a species.
Heterogamy and homogamy are also used to describe marriage or union between people of unlike and like sex (or gender) respectively.