autoinduction
|au-to-in-duc-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊɪnˈdʌkʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊɪnˈdʌkʃ(ə)n/
self-triggered initiation
Etymology
'autoinduction' originates from Modern English, specifically formed from the Greek element 'autos' (meaning 'self') and the Latin-derived word 'induction' (from Latin 'inductio').
'auto-' comes from Greek 'autos' which entered scientific Latin and then English as a productive prefix meaning 'self'; 'induction' derives from Latin 'inductio' (from 'inducere' 'to lead into'), passed through Old French and Middle English into Modern English; the compound 'autoinduction' was formed in modern scientific contexts in the 20th century.
Initially, 'induction' meant 'the act of leading in' (from Latin), but combined with the Greek 'auto-' it evolved in technical contexts to mean 'self-initiated or self-promoting initiation', i.e., 'self-caused induction'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a biological or biochemical process in which a cell, molecule, or system induces or upregulates its own production or the expression of its own genes (self-stimulation leading to increased synthesis).
In some bacterial quorum-sensing circuits, autoinduction causes cells to produce more signaling molecules as population density rises.
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Noun 2
a laboratory technique (often in molecular biology) where expression of a recombinant protein is initiated automatically by changes in growth conditions or medium composition, removing the need for an external inducer.
We grew the culture in autoinduction medium so the target protein was expressed without adding IPTG manually.
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Noun 3
in chemistry, an autocatalytic-like phenomenon in which a product or intermediate enhances its own rate of formation.
The reaction showed autoinduction behavior: once a small amount of product formed, the rate accelerated as the product catalyzed its own formation.
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Last updated: 2025/11/26 04:46