cryptomerismn.
/krɪpˈtɒmərɪz(ə)m/, U.S. /krɪpˈtɑməˌrɪz(ə)m/ Biology. Now rare.
The property of a genetic factor of remaining unexpressed in the phenotype unless activated by another factor. Cf. cryptomere n.
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the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > genetic components > [noun] > factor > latent factor or quality
cryptomerism1904
cryptomere1906
1904 Ann. Royal Bot. Gardens, Peradeniya 2 ii. 341 De Vries further upholds a very far-reaching Cryptomerism, namely, the inclusion of all the varieties of a species one within the other.
1906 R. H. Lock Rec. Progress Study Variation viii. 189 The best general name for the class of phenomena we are about to describe is perhaps latency of characters, or cryptomerism.
1966 A. J. Pomerans tr. A. Tétry in R. Taton Sci. in 20th Cent. iv. iv. 437 Complementary genes form a complex with a variable number of genes, any one of which alone is incapable of expression... This phenomenon, which was discovered by Cuénot, has been called ‘cryptomerism’ by Tschermak.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1904