the theory that a reproductive cell contains gemmules or invisible germs that were derived from the individual cells from every part of the organism and that these gemmules are the bearers of hereditary attributes.
Origin: 1868; pan-+ genesis; term introduced by Charles Darwin
Main Entry: pan·gen·e·sis Pronunciation: (')pan-'jen-&-s&s Function: noun Inflected Form: pluralpan·gen·e·ses/-"sEz/ : a hypothetical mechanism of heredity in which the cells throw off particles that circulate freely throughout the system,multiply by subdivision, and collect in the reproductive products or in buds so that the egg or bud contains particles from all parts of the parent —pan·ge·net·ic/"pan-j&-'net-ik/adjective
[pan-jen-uh-sis] 
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