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differentiation

 - 4 dictionary results
dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion   (dĭf'ə-rěn'shē-ā'shən)   
n.  
    1. The act or process of differentiating.

    2. The state of becoming differentiated.

  1. Mathematics The process of computing a derivative.

  2. Biology The process by which cells or tissues undergo a change toward a more specialized form or function, especially during embryonic development.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion
Pronunciation: -"ren-chE-'A-sh&n
Function: noun
1 a : the act of describing athing by giving its differentia b : the enhancement of microscopically visible differences between tissue or cell parts by partial selective decolorization or removal of excess stain(as in regressive staining) c : the development of a discriminating conditioned response with a positive response to one stimulus and absence of the response on the application ofsimilar but discriminably different stimuli
2 a : modification of different parts of the body for performance of particular functions; also : specialization ofparts or organs in the course of evolution b : the sum of the developmental processes whereby apparently unspecialized cells, tissues, and structures attain their adult form andfunction —compare DETERMINATION 2
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

differentiation dif·fer·en·ti·a·tion (dĭf'ə-rěn'shē-ā'shən)
n.

  1. The acquisition or possession of a character or function different from that of the original type. Also called specialization.

  2. See differential diagnosis.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
differentiation   (dĭf'ə-rěn'shē-ā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. In calculus, the process of computing the derivative of a function. Compare integration.

  2. The process by which cells or parts of an organism change during development to serve a specific function. The cells of an animal in its early embryonic phase, for example, are identical at first but develop by differentiation into specific tissues, such as bone, heart muscle, and skin. The factors determining the differentiation of any particular cell are not well understood, but in deuterostomes (vertebrates and other complex animals) they include the location of the cell relative to other cells.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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