MEIOSIS (meioses)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: meioses   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does meiosis mean? 

• MEIOSIS (noun)
  The noun MEIOSIS has 2 senses:

1. (genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants)

2. understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)

  Familiarity information: MEIOSIS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MEIOSIS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

meiosis; miosis; reduction division

Hypernyms ("meiosis" is a kind of...):

cell division; cellular division (the process in reproduction and growth by which a cell divides to form daughter cells)

Meronyms (parts of "meiosis"):

anaphase (the stage of meiosis or mitosis when chromosomes move toward opposite ends of the nuclear spindle)

cytokinesis (organic process consisting of the division of the cytoplasm of a cell following karyokinesis bringing about the separation into two daughter cells)

karyokinesis (organic process consisting of the division of the nucleus of a cell during mitosis or meiosis)

metaphase (the second stage of meiosis)

prophase (the first stage of meiosis)

segregation ((genetics) the separation of paired alleles during meiosis so that members of each pair of alleles appear in different gametes)

telophase (the final stage of meiosis when the chromosomes move toward opposite ends of the nuclear spindle)

Domain category:

genetic science; genetics (the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "meiosis"):

nondisjunction (meiosis in which there is a failure of paired homologous chromosomes to separate; results in an abnormal number of chromosomes in the daughter cells)

Derivation:

meiotic (of or relating to meiosis)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

litotes; meiosis

Context example:

saying 'I was not a little upset' when you mean 'I was very upset' is an example of litotes

Hypernyms ("meiosis" is a kind of...):

understatement (a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said)

rhetorical device (a use of language that creates a literary effect (but often without regard for literal significance))

 Context examples 

It is required for reciprocal recombination and proper segregation of homologous chromosomes at meiosis.

(MutS Homolog 4, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein plays a role in chromosome pairing during meiosis, repair of DNA double-strand breaks and cell cycle checkpoint regulation.

(Fanconi Anemia Group D2 Protein, NCI Thesaurus)

This allele, which encodes Fanconi anemia group D2 protein, plays a role in the mediation of homolog pairing in meiosis, cell cycle checkpoint regulation and the modulation of DNA repair.

(FANCD2 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene is involved in mitosis and meiosis.

(AURKB Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

The tendency for genes or segments of DNA closely positioned along a chromosome to segregate together at meiosis, and therefore be inherited together.

(Genetic Linkage, NCI Dictionary)

This allele, which encodes proto-oncogene serine/threonine-protein kinase mos protein, plays a role in cell cycle regulation during meiosis.

(MOS wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Any transmissible change in the genetic material of an organism, which can result from radiation, viral infection, transposition, treatment with mutagenic chemicals and errors during DNA replication or meiosis.

(Mutation, NCI Thesaurus)

A mutation in the genomic DNA of reproductive cells (egg or sperm) that is retained during meiosis, mitosis, and cell differentiation.

(Germline Mutation Abnormality, NCI Thesaurus)

This gene is involved in the regulation of meiosis, DNA repair and the cell cycle.

(FANCD2 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

Once formed, heterochromatin can be inherited through many cell divisions, including meiosis.

(Epigenetic Silencing, NCI Thesaurus)