pleomorphism

or ple·o·mor·phy

[ plee-uh-mawr-fiz-uhm ]

noun

, Biology.

1. existence of an organism in two or more distinct forms during the life cycle; polymorphism.

pleomorphism

/ ˈpliːəˌmɔːfɪ; ˌpliːəˈmɔːˌfɪzəm /

noun

1. the occurrence of more than one different form in the life cycle of a plant or animal
2. the occurrence of more than one different form of crystal of one chemical compound; polymorphism

Derived Forms

• ˌpleoˈmorphic, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pleomorphism¹

First recorded in 1860–65; pleo- + -morph + -ism

Example Sentences

He believes that when your blood becomes acidic, something weird happens, and your blood cells transform into bacteria - a phenomenon he calls pleomorphism - thereby resulting in a diseased state.

From BBC

This variation in morphology is known as "pleomorphism."

From Project Gutenberg

Zopf in 1885 proposed a scheme based on the acceptance of extreme views of pleomorphism; his system, however, was extraordinarily impracticable and was recognized by him as provisional only.

From Project Gutenberg

Some of the factors influencing pleomorphism are: 1.

From Project Gutenberg

The question, What is an individual? has given rise to much difficulty, and around it many of the speculations regarding pleomorphism have centred without useful result.

From Project Gutenberg