apomixis

[ ap-uh-mik-sis ]

noun

, Biology.

, plural ap·o·mix·es [ap-, uh, -, mik, -seez].

1. any of several types of asexual reproduction, as apogamy or parthenogenesis.

apomixis

/ ˌæpəˈmɪksɪs /

noun

1. (esp in plants) any of several types of asexual reproduction, such as parthenogenesis and apogamy, in which fertilization does not take place Compare amphimixis

apomixis

/ ăp′ə-mĭk′sĭs /

1. The development of an embryo without the occurrence of fertilization. Parthenogenesis is one form of apomixis. In plants, another form of apomixis also occurs, in which the embryo develops from the somatic cells of the ovule surrounding the embryo sac, not from the egg cell within the embryo sac itself. Such embryos are clones of the parent plant, and valuable cultivars of plants such as the fig are propagated using seeds produced through this kind of apomixis.

Derived Forms

• ˌapoˈmictic, adjective

Other Words From

• ap·o·mic·tic [ap-, uh, -, mik, -tik], apo·micti·cal adjective
• apo·micti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of apomixis¹

1910–15; < New Latin < Greek apo- apo- + míxis a mixing, equivalent to mig ( nýnai ) to mix + -sis -sis

Word History and Origins

Origin of apomixis¹

C20: New Latin, from Greek apo- + mixis a mixing

Example Sentences

If we could find a way to propagate crop plants by asexual reproduction through seeds -- known as apomixis -- it would revolutionize agriculture.

From Science Daily

A landmark accomplishment came from someone who didn’t set out to study apomixis.

From Science Magazine

Sometimes apomixis is used only as a backup.

From Washington Post

In nature, some plant species reproduce clonally: The eggs inside their flowers become embryos without pollination, part of a process called apomixis—“away from mixing” in Greek.

From Science Magazine

In 2019, an international team reported that it had successfully engineered a line of rice plants that could reproduce clonally—the first instance of synthetic apomixis in a crop.

From Science Magazine