dedifferentiate

[dee-dif-uh-ren-shee-eyt]

verb (used without object)

Biology.

dedifferentiated, dedifferentiating 

1. to undergo dedifferentiation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of dedifferentiate¹

First recorded in 1915–20; back formation from dedifferentiation

Example Sentences

Following injury, mature differentiated cells called club cells can dedifferentiate and behave as facultative stem cells12,13.

From Nature

But cancer cells “dedifferentiate,” abandoning their assigned roles and pursuing a course beneficial only to themselves.

From New York Times

Cells acquire epigenetic markers as they differentiate, and they maintain some of them when they dedifferentiate into iPS cells.

From Nature

In zebra fish the structure of the muscle fiber disintegrates as the cells dedifferentiate.

From New York Times

In human hearts, too, Dr. Murry said, the muscle cells dedifferentiate after injury and double up their DNA, a necessary precursor to cell division.

From New York Times