chemotaxis
|che-mo-tax-is|
C1
🇺🇸
/ˌkiːmoʊˈtæksɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌkiːməʊˈtæksɪs/
movement toward chemicals
Etymology
Etymology Information
'chemotaxis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'khemo-' meaning 'chemical' and 'taxis' meaning 'arrangement' or 'order'.
Historical Evolution
'khemo-' combined with 'taxis' in scientific Latin to form 'chemotaxis', which was adopted into English in the late 19th century.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'movement in response to a chemical stimulus', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the movement of an organism or cell in response to a chemical stimulus.
Bacteria exhibit chemotaxis by moving toward nutrients.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/05/29 12:49