autotomy

au·tot·o·my

A0540200 (ô-tŏt′ə-mē)n. The spontaneous casting off of a limb or other body part, such as the tail of certain lizards or the claw of a lobster, especially when the organism is injured or under attack.

au′to·tom′ic (ô′tə-tŏm′ĭk), au′tot′o·mous adj.au·tot′o·mize′ v.

autotomy

(ɔːˈtɒtəmɪ) n, pl -mies (Zoology) the casting off by an animal of a part of its body, to facilitate escape when attacked autotomic, autotomous adj

au•tot•o•my

(ɔˈtɒt ə mi)

n., pl. -mies. the breaking off of a damaged or trapped body appendage, as the tail of a lizard or the claw of a crab. [1895–1900] au•to•tom•ic (ˌɔ təˈtɒm ɪk) au•tot′o•mous, adj. au•tot′o•mize`, v.i., v.t. -mized, -miz•ing.

Thesaurus

Noun

autotomy - spontaneous removal or casting off of a body part (as the tail of a lizard or claw of a lobster) especially when the organism is injured or under attackremotion, removal - the act of removing; "he had surgery for the removal of a malignancy"

Translations

autotomíaautotomia

Autotomy

autotomy

[ȯ′täd·ə·mē] (medicine) Surgical removal of a part of one's own body. (zoology) The process of self-amputation of appendages in crabs and other crustaceans and tails in some salamanders and lizards under stress.

Autotomy

self-mutilation, a protective reaction observed in many animals upon acute stimulus; for example, seizure by a predator.

Autotomy consists in the spontaneous shedding of extremities, tail, or other parts of the body. The term “autotomy” was introduced and thoroughly examined by the Belgian physiologist L. Fredericq in 1883. Autotomy is encountered in invertebrates—certain hydroid polyps and actinia shed feelers; nemertines and segmented worms shed the end of the body; sea lilies, starfish, and other echinoderms lose arms; mollusks shed siphons; and crustaceans lose claws and other extremities. Among the vertebrates, autotomy is inherent only in lizards, which shed their tails. Autotomy is a reflex process, and the place of autotomy is determined specifically in each animal. For example, in lizards, autotomy is controlled by a nerve center located in the spinal cord, and the breaking occurs with a sharp contraction of muscles in the very spot of the backbone where a transverse cartilage plate is located. Autotomy is usually associated with the ability to regenerate the lost parts of the body; that is, regeneration occurs most easily at the site of autotomy.

autotomy

au·tot·o·my

(aw-tot'ŏ-mē), The act of casting off a body part as a means of escape; for example, the limb of a crab or the tail of a lizard. [auto- + G. tomē, a cutting]

autotomy

(ô-tŏt′ə-mē)n. The spontaneous casting off of a limb or other body part, such as the tail of certain lizards or the claw of a lobster, especially when the organism is injured or under attack.

au′to·tom′ic (ô′tə-tŏm′ĭk), au′tot′o·mous adj.au·tot′o·mize′ v.

autotomy

1. Fission of an organism, such as a bacterium or other cell. 2. Surgical removal of a part of one's own body.

autotomy

the deliberate casting of part of the body when attacked, as when a lizard casts it tail.

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Words related to autotomy

noun spontaneous removal or casting off of a body part (as the tail of a lizard or claw of a lobster) especially when the organism is injured or under attack

Related Words