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dedifferentiation

[ dee-dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shuhn ]
/ diˌdɪf əˌrɛn ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /
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noun Biology.
a process by which structures or behaviors that were specialized for a specific function lose their specialization and become simplified or generalized.
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Origin of dedifferentiation

First recorded in 1915–20; de- + differentiation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for dedifferentiation

dedifferentiation
/ (diːˌdɪfəˌrɛnʃɪˈeɪʃən) /

noun
the reversion of the cells of differentiated tissue to a less specialized form
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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