cephalization

[sef-uh-luh-zey-shuhn]

noun

Zoology.

1. a tendency in the development of animals to localization of important organs or parts in or near the head.

cephalization

/ ˌsɛfəlaɪˈzeɪʃən /

noun

1. (in the evolution of animals) development of a head by the concentration of feeding and sensory organs and nervous tissue at the anterior end

Word History and Origins

Origin of cephalization¹

First recorded in 1860–65; cephal- + -ization

Example Sentences

This is somewhat surprising considering that tapeworms possess a well-developed nervous system, albeit with reduced sensory input and cephalization.

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Cephalization probably happened several times, and in different ways, in different groups of animals.

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The next major chapter in the brain’s evolutionary history was a process known as cephalization, in which neurons cluster at one end of an animal, eventually becoming a brain linked to important sensory organs like eyes.

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The anterior end of body always shows some “cephalization.”

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Cephalization: concentration toward the head.

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