autopolyploidy
|au-to-po-ly-ploi-dy|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊˌpɑːliˈplɔɪdi/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊˌpɒlɪˈplɔɪdi/
self-derived multiple chromosome sets
Etymology
'autopolyploidy' originates from Greek elements: 'autos' meaning 'self', 'polys' meaning 'many', and the root 'ploid' (from Greek roots meaning 'fold' or 'layer') used to indicate sets (as in chromosome sets).
'autopolyploidy' was formed in scientific English by combining the prefix 'auto-' with the existing term 'polyploidy' (itself coined in biological contexts in the late 19th to early 20th century) to specify polyploidy arising within a single species.
Initially the components literally conveyed 'self-many-fold', but the term has specialized to mean 'having multiple chromosome sets derived from one species' in modern biology.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the condition in which an organism has more than two complete sets of chromosomes (polyploidy), all of which originate from a single species rather than from hybridization with another species.
Autopolyploidy is common in plants and can affect size, fertility, and adaptation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/27 23:27