Cornifications

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of converting cells into a hardened or keratinized state, often seen in skin and epithelium
2. The formation of a protective layer of cornified cells that contribute to the barrier function of an organism
3. A biological phenomenon where tissues undergo a change to gain resilience and protection through keratin deposition

Etymology: "Cornifications" is simply the plural of "cornification," so it names more than one instance of the process. The noun is built from Latin "cornū," meaning "horn," with the suffix "-ification," which turns a base into a noun for the act or process of making something into that thing. Cornification therefore means, literally, the making of something into horn. The horn sense of the base is the key to the meaning. Keratin, the tough protein that forms horn, hair and nails, is the substance the process produces in skin and other epithelial tissue, so a cell that undergoes cornification takes on a horn-like hardness. The word thus turns a familiar image of animal horn into a precise term for a biological change.

Synonyms: keratinizations