pluripotentadj.
/ˌplʊərɪˈpəʊtnt/, /ˌplɔːrɪˈpəʊtnt/, U.S. /ˌplʊrəˈpoʊtnt/ Biology.
Capable of differentiating into more than one type of mature cell or tissue. Cf. totipotent adj., unipotent adj. 2.
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pluripotent1916
pluripotential1920
1916 Science 10 Mar. 348/2 All that is necessary is to inoculate growing plants in areas containing dormant totipotent or pluripotent cells, using Bacterium tumefaciens.
1942 J. Needham Biochem. & Morphogen. iii. 435 They are at first pluripotent or relatively undetermined.
1963 J. W. Lash in M. Locke Cytodifferentiation & Macromolecular Synthesis 257 Even embryonic systems involving so-called ‘pluripotent’ reacting tissues are equational to the systems discussed in this paper.
1996 Daily Tel. 13 Mar. 9/6 Early embryo cells are ‘pluripotent’—that is, they retain the ability to differentiate into the myriad cell types found in an adult body.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1916