microenvironment

[ mahy-kroh-en-vahy-ern-muhnt, -vahy-ruhn- ]

noun

1. the environment of a small area or of a particular organism; microhabitat.

microenvironment

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊɪnˌvaɪrənmənt /

noun

1. ecology the environment of a small area, such as that around a leaf or plant

microenvironment

/ mī′krō-ĕn-vī′rən-mənt /

1. The environment of a very small, specific area, distinguished from its immediate surroundings by such factors as the amount of incident light, the degree of moisture, and the range of temperatures. The side of a tree that is shaded from sunlight is a microenvironment that typically supports a somewhat different community of organisms than is found on the side that receives regular light.
2. Also called microhabitat

Other Words From

• mi·cro·en·vi·ron·men·tal [mahy-kroh-en-vahy-ern-, men, -tl, -vahy-r, uh, n-], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of microenvironment¹

First recorded in 1950–55; micro- + environment

Example Sentences

Egeblad does it in a Fantastic Voyage style—by watching what the cells in the tumor microenvironment do.

From Nautilus

Understanding the tumor microenvironment has other potentials.

From Nautilus

Each organelle makes up a microenvironment, so they can function semi-independently.

From Singularity Hub