/fəʊtə(ʊ)ˈtaksiːz/, U.S. /foʊdoʊˈtæksiz/.phototaxisn.
/ˌfəʊtə(ʊ)ˈtaksɪs/, U.S. /ˌfoʊdoʊˈtæksəs//fəʊtə(ʊ)ˈtaksiːz/, U.S. /foʊdoʊˈtæksiz/. Biology.
The orientated movement of a motile organism in response to light; an instance of this. Cf. phototropism n. 1.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > biological processes > movement > movement in response to stimuli > [noun] > response to light
phototaxis1893
photopathy1897
heliotaxis1898
phototropism1899
photokinesis1905
photonegativity1921
photostability1926
photophily1934
1893 Athenæum 16 Sept. 375/3 Phototaxis and chemiotaxis are the last instances of physiological adaptation cited [by J. S. B. Sanderson].
1894 J. S. B. Sanderson in Rep. Brit. Assoc. Advancem. Sci. 1893 24 A single instance..must suffice to illustrate the influence of light in directing the movements of freely moving cells, or, as it is termed, phototaxis.
1902 Jrnl. Royal Microsc. Soc. 31 Phototaxis is the peculiarity displayed by free-swimming organisms of orienting the body so as to place its long axis in a definite relation to the direction of the rays.
1954 New Biol. 17 49 Several workers have found negative phototaxis (movement away from light) in a number of species [of woodlice].
1962 G. L. Clarke & E. J. Denton in M. N. Hill Sea I. x. 464 Responses by which animals can orientate themselves with respect to the direction of the light are known as phototaxes.
1990 Jrnl. Plankton Res. 12 1167 Phyllodoce mucosa..has..a positive phototaxis which could concentrate young stages near the surface, thus facilitating their dispersion.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1893