dedifferentiation

American  

[dee-dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shuhn] / diˌdɪf əˌrɛn ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

Biology.

1. 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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dedifferentiation British  

/ diːˌdɪfəˌrɛnʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the reversion of the cells of differentiated tissue to a less specialized form

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Etymology

Origin of dedifferentiation

First recorded in 1915–20; de- + differentiation ( def. )

Example Sentences

Instead, differentiated cells undergo what is known as dedifferentiation after the removal of the growth zone.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

This reduction in neural selectivity, or dedifferentiation, is linked to worsening memory performance.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2024

"There isn't a one-size-fits-all theory of age-related neural dedifferentiation," said Rugg, who is also the Distinguished Chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2024

It is very likely that each of these subtypes originates from a distinct cancer stem cell type, which in turn may be produced by dedifferentiation of different cell populations in the central nervous system.

From Scientific American • Jan. 11, 2013

War, from this point of view, is a precondition for development along new lines of necessity, and the dedifferentiation is the first stage of a constructive process.

From Introduction to the Science of Sociology by Park, Robert Ezra