dedifferentiation

American  

[dee-dif-uh-ren-shee-ey-shuhn] / diˌdɪf əˌrɛn ʃiˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

Biology.

1. a process by which structures or behaviors that were specialized for a specific function lose their specialization and become simplified or generalized.

---

dedifferentiation British  

/ diːˌdɪfəˌrɛnʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the reversion of the cells of differentiated tissue to a less specialized form

---

Etymology

Origin of dedifferentiation

First recorded in 1915–20; de- + differentiation ( def. )

Example Sentences

Instead, differentiated cells undergo what is known as dedifferentiation after the removal of the growth zone.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

This reduction in neural selectivity, or dedifferentiation, is linked to worsening memory performance.

From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2024

Pseudotemporal analysis revealed a novel pathway wherein pancreatic β-cells undergo dedifferentiation and subsequently differentiate into acinar-like cells.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2023

It is very likely that each of these subtypes originates from a distinct cancer stem cell type, which in turn may be produced by dedifferentiation of different cell populations in the central nervous system.

From Scientific American • Jan. 11, 2013

The collapse is a process of dedifferentiation during which the old structures are destroyed, precedents are disavowed, new situations occur with bewildering rapidity, for dealing with which there is no recognized machinery available.

From Introduction to the Science of Sociology by Park, Robert Ezra