parabiosis

noun

para·​bi·​o·​sis ˌper-ə-(ˌ)bī-ˈō-səs How to pronounce parabiosis (audio)
-bē-,
ˌpa-rə-
1
: reversible suspension of obvious vital activities
2
: anatomical and physiological union of two organisms
parabiotic
ˌper-ə-(ˌ)bī-ˈä-tik How to pronounce parabiosis (audio)
-bē-
ˌpa-rə-
adjective
parabiotically adverb

Examples of parabiosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Two more scientists at Stanford, Tony Wyss-Coray and Saul Villeda, then extended those findings to the brain, reporting that young blood transmitted via parabiosis enhanced the production of new neurons, a process that is usually in decline in old age. Elie Dolgin, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2021 The group then surgically joined the healthy mice with the diseased mice, a technique called parabiosis, so that the two would share blood supplies anywhere from two months to a year. Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2017 As a result of the procedure, which is known as heterochronic parabiosis, the biological age of the younger mice was increased after the surgery and restored following surgical detachment. L'oreal Thompson Payton, Fortune Well, 21 Apr. 2023 Old Becomes New To test the effects of young blood, scientists surgically linked the circulatory systems of young mice and old mice together through a procedure known as parabiosis. Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2015 Dystopian visions of blood farms aside, parabiosis and the promise of young blood have quite a ways to go. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 3 Nov. 2017 In recent years, the parabiosis field has grown quarrelsome. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 After that paper, Rando turned back to parabiosis, and Chang began work on a cream to make skin look decades younger. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 The rodent-conjoining technique, known as parabiosis, then fell out of favor for many years. Elie Dolgin, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'parabiosis.' 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

para- entry 1 + -biosis (in sense 2 after German Parabiose)

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of parabiosis was in 1903

Dictionary Entries Near parabiosis

Cite this Entry

“Parabiosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parabiosis. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

parabiosis

noun
para·​bi·​o·​sis ˌpar-ə-(ˌ)bī-ˈō-səs, -bē- How to pronounce parabiosis (audio)
plural parabioses -ˌsēz How to pronounce parabiosis (audio)
: the anatomical and physiological union of two organisms either natural (as in conjoined twins) or artificially produced
parabiotic adjective
parabiotically adverb
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