thermotaxis

American  

[thur-muh-tak-sis] / ˌθɜr məˈtæk sɪs /

noun

1. Biology.  movement of an organism toward or away from a source of heat.

2. Physiology.  the regulation of the bodily temperature.

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thermotaxis British  

/ ˌθɜːməʊˈtæksɪs /

noun

1. the directional movement of an organism in response to the stimulus of a source of heat

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Other Word Forms

• thermotactic adjective
• thermotaxic adjective

Etymology

Origin of thermotaxis

First recorded in 1890–95; thermo- + -taxis

Example Sentences

Despite the lack of central coordination of their set of parts, the larvae invariably achieve the goal of moving toward a preferred temperature—a process known as thermotaxis.

From Scientific American