microenvironment
Americannoun
noun
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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.
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Also called microhabitat
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of microenvironment
First recorded in 1950–55; micro- + environment
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These results supported the idea that paricalcitol can remodel the tumor microenvironment, potentially making conditions around the cancer less protective.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
In preclinical studies, the Sylvester team found that inhibiting IL1RAP changed the tumor microenvironment in several important ways.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
"They may adopt different functions based on certain cues in the microenvironment and in the tissue, and differentiate into a certain kind of sub-population," Sunwoo said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
It also changed the tumor microenvironment in a potentially beneficial way by increasing the activity of cancer-fighting CD8+ T cells.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
Such a closed nest would have the advantage of greatly moderating the microenvironment within the nest, and would allow the animal within to remain comfortable with a minimum expenditure of energy.
From Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado by Charles L. Douglas
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