Autologous

Autologous means that something belongs to you, and only you. Think of it like your favorite stuffed toy that you don't want to share with anyone else. It's all yours and no one else can have it.

When it comes to medicine, autologous means that something that is used to help you is a part of your body, like your own blood or cells. It's not from someone else, like how you might share a toy with a friend. Your body gives these things to you, and no one else can use them.

So if a doctor says that you need an autologous bone marrow transplant, it means they will take some of your own bone marrow and give it back to you to help you get better. This is different than using someone else's bone marrow, which is called an allogeneic transplant. Autologous is special because it only belongs to you and can't be shared with anyone else.