Homoeosis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The biological development in which one organ or body part takes on the form and identity of another, as in certain genetic mutations
2. A developmental change in which a structure in an organism becomes like a different structure normally found elsewhere in the body
3. The replacement of one anatomical part by another during growth, a process studied in botany and zoology alike

Etymology: "Homoeosis" is an alternative spelling of "homeosis," and the two forms are the same word. It comes from Greek "homoiōsis," a noun meaning a making like or a becoming similar, formed from the verb "homoioun," to make similar, which itself derives from "homoios," like or similar. The root sense is simply resemblance, which is why the word has always carried the idea of one thing being transformed into the likeness of another. In English, the term is used in biology and developmental studies for the replacement of one body part by another, most famously in the example of a leg or antenna growing where an antenna should be. The Greek root survives in a number of related English words, such as "homoeopathy" and "homogeneous," which share the same "homoios" element. The spelling with the "oe" digraph reflects the classical Greek vowel pattern most closely, while the "e" spelling is the simplified modern form.

Synonyms: homeosis