gynogenesis

noun

gy·​no·​gen·​e·​sis ˌgī-nə-ˈje-nə-səs How to pronounce gynogenesis (audio) ji- How to pronounce gynogenesis (audio)
: development in which the embryo contains only maternal chromosomes due to activation of an egg by a sperm that degenerates without fusing with the egg nucleus
gynogenetic adjective

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web This new sturddlefish came into existence when the research team tried to breed more Russian sturgeons via gynogenesis, a type of asexual reproduction in which sperm is necessary but leaves no traces of its DNA behind. Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 5 Apr. 2022 This is where the American paddlefish comes into as the team used sperm from this fish to start the gynogenesis in the sturgeon. Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 5 Apr. 2022 Moreover, aquaculturists had previously used sperm from paddlefish to trigger gynogenesis in other sturgeon species and vice versa, and none of those experiments had ever produced crossbreeds. Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gynogenesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

gyno- + genesis, after androgenesis

Note: The term was introduced by the American biologist Edmund Beecher Wilson (1856-1939) in The Cell in Development and Heredity, third edition (New York: 1925), p. 460.

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gynogenesis was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near gynogenesis

Cite this Entry

“Gynogenesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gynogenesis. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Medical Definition

gynogenesis

noun
gy·​no·​gen·​e·​sis -ˈjen-ə-səs How to pronounce gynogenesis (audio)
plural gynogeneses -ˌsēz How to pronounce gynogenesis (audio)
: development in which the embryo contains only maternal chromosomes due to activation of an egg by a sperm that degenerates without fusing with the egg nucleus compare androgenesis
gynogenetic adjective

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