chemotaxis

noun

che·​mo·​tax·​is ˌkē-mō-ˈtak-səs How to pronounce chemotaxis (audio)
: orientation or movement of an organism or cell in relation to chemical agents

Examples of chemotaxis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Notably, the peptide has been found to contribute to wound healing and promotes chemotaxis of myoblasts, accelerating wound closure. The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Aug. 2023 Roundworms rely on chemotaxis to find food, using taste and smell cues. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 20 Apr. 2023 This strategy — called gradient search or chemotaxis — works quite well if the odor molecules are distributed in a well-mixed fog, which is the end stage of a process known as diffusion. Dana MacKenzie, Discover Magazine, 20 Mar. 2023 Instead, some bacteria raced through the maze substantially more quickly than others, largely because of varying aptitude for moving toward higher concentrations of food, a process called chemotaxis. Quanta Magazine, 4 Sep. 2019 Tackling the traveling salesman problem with chemotaxis is a nice example of when the suboptimal is optimal, says Bartumeus. Rachel Ehrenberg, WIRED, 11 Apr. 2011

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German Chemotaxis, from chemo- chemo- + -taxis -taxis

Note: The German term was introduced by the botanist and plant physiologist Wilhelm Pfeffer (1845-1920) in "Über chemotaktische Bewegungen von Bakterien, Flagellaten und Volvocineen," Untersuchungen aus dem Botanischen Institut zu Tübingen, Band 2, Heft 3 (1888), p. 583. In an earlier publication in the same journal (Band 1, Heft 3 [1884], p. 474) Pfeffer used the form Chymitaxis.

First Known Use

circa 1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chemotaxis was circa 1887

Dictionary Entries Near chemotaxis

Cite this Entry

“Chemotaxis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chemotaxis. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

chemotaxis

noun
che·​mo·​tax·​is ˌkē-mō-ˈtak-səs How to pronounce chemotaxis (audio)
: movement or positioning of cells or organisms in relation to a chemical

Medical Definition

chemotaxis

noun
che·​mo·​tax·​is -ˈtak-səs How to pronounce chemotaxis (audio)
plural chemotaxes -ˌsēz How to pronounce chemotaxis (audio)
: orientation or movement of an organism or cell in relation to chemical agents

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