morphogenesis
|mor-pho-gen-e-sis|
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/ˌmɔɹfoʊˈdʒɛnəsɪs/
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/ˌmɔːfəʊˈdʒɛnəsɪs/
generation of form
Etymology
'morphogenesis' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'morphē' meaning 'form' and 'genesis' meaning 'origin' or 'creation'.
'morphogenesis' was formed in New Latin/Modern scientific usage and was adopted into English in the late 19th to early 20th century as a technical term in embryology and developmental biology.
Initially it literally meant 'origin or generation of form'; over time the term has retained that core sense but has broadened from embryological usage to describe form-generating processes in many biological and non-biological contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the biological process by which an organism or part of an organism takes shape and the positions of tissues and organs are established (development of form, especially during embryogenesis).
Morphogenesis begins early in embryonic development and determines body plan and organ placement.
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Noun 2
the cellular and tissue-level processes (such as cell migration, differentiation, and signaling) that produce spatial patterns and structures within an organism.
Researchers study morphogenesis to understand how cells self-organize into complex tissues.
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Noun 3
the general process by which structures or patterns arise in non-biological systems (e.g., materials science, geology, computational models) — extension of the term beyond strictly biological contexts.
Morphogenesis in soft materials can produce intricate surface patterns under mechanical stress.
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Last updated: 2025/11/27 19:17