microenvironment

American  

[mahy-kroh-en-vahy-ern-muhnt, -vahy-ruhn-] / ˌmaɪ kroʊ ɛnˈvaɪ ərn mənt, -ˈvaɪ rən- /

noun

1. the environment of a small area or of a particular organism; microhabitat.

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microenvironment British  

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊɪnˌvaɪrənmənt /

noun

1. ecology the environment of a small area, such as that around a leaf or plant

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microenvironment Scientific  

/ mī′krō-ĕn-vī′rən-mənt /

1. 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.

2. Also called microhabitat

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Other Word Forms

• microenvironmental
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of microenvironment

First recorded in 1950–55; micro- + environment

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

microenvironment

At the same time, they disrupted metabolic processes across several types of cells within the tumor microenvironment, further slowing tumor growth.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

The approach provided an unprecedented view of the tumor microenvironment and the interactions taking place inside it.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

The researchers say that features of the tumor microenvironment, including T-cell exclusion, may help explain why some cancers remain resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

By entering the tumor microenvironment, retinoic acid suppresses immune responses, including the activity of T cells that normally target cancer.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 16, 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 Douglas, Charles L.