Galactic metallicity measures the abundance of elements heavier than helium in a galaxy. Gas and stars retain different time-weighted records of enrichment.
Gas-phase metallicity is the heavy-element abundance of interstellar gas. In star-forming galaxies it is commonly inferred from nebular emission lines in H II regions, often through oxygen abundance .
Stellar metallicity is the heavy-element abundance locked in stars. Integrated-light measurements are luminosity weighted unless a stellar-population reconstruction converts them to a mass-weighted quantity.
The galaxy mass--metallicity relation is the empirical tendency for galaxies with greater galaxy stellar mass to have higher gas-phase metallicity and stellar metallicity. Mass-dependent metal loss, gas inflow, star-formation efficiency, and recycling all contribute.
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