apomixis
|a-po-mix-is|
🇺🇸
/əˈpɑːmɪksɪs/
🇬🇧
/əˈpɒmɪksɪs/
reproduction without fertilization (no genetic mixing)
Etymology
'apomixis' originates from New Latin, formed from the Greek prefix 'apo-' meaning 'away from' and Greek 'mixis' meaning 'mixing' or 'mingling', thus literally 'away from mixing'.
'apomixis' was coined in botanical/Neo-Latin usage in the late 19th to early 20th century from Greek elements 'apo-' + 'mixis' and entered modern scientific English with the current form 'apomixis'.
Initially, the components literally meant 'away from mixing'; over time the term came to denote specifically 'reproduction without genetic mixing (no fertilization)', rather than the more general idea of separation from mixing.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
(botany) Asexual formation of seeds or embryos without fertilization; seed production without the fusion of gametes (also called agamospermy).
Some grasses and dandelions commonly reproduce by apomixis, producing viable seeds without pollination.
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Noun 2
(general biology) Any form of reproduction in which an embryo develops without fertilization of an egg cell (includes certain forms of parthenogenesis and somatic embryony).
Apomixis can maintain a successful genotype across generations because offspring are genetically identical to the parent.
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Last updated: 2025/09/20 21:12