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heterogenesis

American  
[het-er-uh-jen-uh-sis] / ˌhɛt ər əˈdʒɛn ə sɪs /

noun

Biology.
  1. Also heterogeny alternation of generations, especially the alternation of parthenogenetic and sexual generations.

  2. abiogenesis.


heterogenesis British  
/ ˌhɛtərəʊˈdʒɛnɪsɪs, ˌhɛtərəʊdʒɪˈnɛtɪk /

noun

  1. another name for alternation of generations abiogenesis

"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

Other Word Forms

  • heterogenetic adjective
  • heterogenetically adverb

Etymology

Origin of heterogenesis

First recorded in 1850–55; hetero- + -genesis

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.

From time to time there have been observers who have maintained a belief in the opposite theory, to which the name heterogenesis has been given.

From Project Gutenberg

On the basis of such experiments Korschinsky developed the theory which had been proposed by Koelliker in Wuerzburg thirty years earlier, namely, the theory of "heterogeneous production" or "heterogenesis," as Korschinsky calls it.

From Project Gutenberg

No serious observer, acquainted with modern microscopic technical methods, has been able to confirm the explanation of their observations given by the few modern believers in heterogenesis.

From Project Gutenberg