totipotent

American  

[toh-tip-uh-tuhnt] / toʊˈtɪp ə tənt /

adjective

Biology.

1. (of a cell or part) having the potential for developing in various specialized ways in response to external or internal stimuli.

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totipotent British  

/ təʊˈtɪpətənt /

adjective

1. (of an animal cell) capable of differentiation and so forming a new individual, tissue, organ, etc

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Other Word Forms

• totipotency noun

Etymology

Origin of totipotent

First recorded in 1895–1900; toti- + potent ¹

Example Sentences

Artificial regulation of such totipotent cells through plant tissue culture is widely used for plant conservation, breeding, generation of GM species, and scientific research purposes.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

The zygote, or the fertilized egg, is totipotent because it is the single cell that is able to develop into any type of cell in the body.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2018

At the moment that a sperm penetrates an egg, that single-­cell zygote is what is known as totipotent: It is pure potential.

From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2015

The apparently totipotent cells continued to proliferate at an exponential rate.

From Nature • Apr. 2, 2014

For more on this totipotent term see "The Meaning of Hack".

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.