pangenesis

[ pan-jen-uh-sis ]

/ pænˈdʒɛn ə sɪs /

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noun Biology.

the theory that a reproductive cell contains gemmules or invisible germs that were derived from the individual cells from every part of the organism and that these gemmules are the bearers of hereditary attributes.

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Origin of pangenesis

1868; pan- + genesis; term introduced by Charles Darwin

OTHER WORDS FROM pangenesis

pan·ge·net·ic

[pan-juh-net-ik], /ˌpæn dʒəˈnɛt ɪk/, adjectivepan·ge·net·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby pangenesis

panful, pang, panga, Pangaea, pangender, pangenesis, Pan-Germanism, Pang-fou, Pangloss, Panglossian, pangola grass

How to use pangenesis in a sentence

Pangenesis, pan-jen′e-sis, n. the theory that every separate part of the whole organisation reproduces itself.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various
Mr. Darwin appears, by "Natural Selection," to destroy the reality of species, and by Pangenesis that of the individual.
On the Genesis of Species|St. George Mivart
As was said at the beginning of this chapter, "Pangenesis" and "Natural Selection" are quite separable and distinct hypotheses.
On the Genesis of Species|St. George Mivart
You will find pangenesis stiff reading, and I fear will shake your head in disapproval.
More Letters of Charles Darwin Volume II|Charles Darwin

Your explanation agrees beautifully with the hypothesis of pangenesis, and delights me.
More Letters of Charles Darwin Volume II|Charles Darwin

British Dictionary definitions for pangenesis

pangenesis

/ (pænˈdʒɛnɪsɪs) /

noun

a former theory of heredity, that each body cell produces hereditary particles that circulate in the blood before collecting in the reproductive cellsSee also blastogenesis (def. 1)

Derived forms of pangenesis

pangenetic (ˌpændʒəˈnɛtɪk), adjectivepangenetically, adverb

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