mosaicism

American  

[moh-zey-uh-siz-uhm] / moʊˈzeɪ əˌsɪz əm /

noun

Biology.

1. a condition in which an organism or part is composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues owing to experimental manipulation or to faulty distribution of genetic material during mitosis.

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Etymology

Origin of mosaicism

First recorded in 1925–30; mosaic + -ism

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mosaicism

Instead, it creates a mix of cells with and without the Y chromosome, a condition known as mosaicism.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 20, 2026

This mix of cell lines is called mosaicism.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 1, 2022

“The edit may occur at the two-cell or four-cell stage, so not all the cells are identical,” Lovell-Badge says—a phenomenon called mosaicism.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 21, 2022

A first pregnancy is questioned when test results indicate abnormal chromosomes — mosaicism — in the unborn child.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 2, 2021

Findings made in the past few years reveal that human skin, oesophageal and lung cells show high levels of mosaicism.

From Nature ● Oct. 14, 2019