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mitosis
noun
Examples of mitosis in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mitosis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
borrowed from German Mitosis (later Mitose), from Greek mítos "length of thread, cord used to separate warp threads" (of uncertain origin) + -ōsis -osis
Note: Term coined by the German biologist Walther Flemming (1843-1905) in Zellsubstanz, Kern und Zelltheilung (Leipzig, 1882), p. 376. Flemming introduces the word first in the compound Karyomitosis as a replacement for Karyokinesis to denote specifically "the metamorphosis of threads in the nucleus" ("Fadenmetamorphose im Kern"). In following sentences he uses the truncated form in the plural Mitosen for mitotic figures ("Kerntheilungsfiguren," i.e, the spindle-shaped figures presented by the chromosomes during mitosis) and in the singular Mitosis for the process of division.
1887, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near mitosis
Cite this Entry
“Mitosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mitosis. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
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mitosis
nounMedical Definition
mitosis
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on mitosis
Nglish: Translation of mitosis for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mitosis
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