MIOSIS (mioses)
Dictionary entry overview: What does miosis mean?
• MIOSIS (noun)
The noun MIOSIS has 2 senses:
1. (genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants)
2. reflex contraction of the sphincter muscle of the iris in response to a bright light (or certain drugs) causing the pupil to become smaller
Familiarity information: MIOSIS used as a noun is rare.
Dictionary entry details
• MIOSIS (noun)
Meaning:
(genetics) cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms; the nucleus divides into four nuclei each containing half the chromosome number (leading to gametes in animals and spores in plants)
Classified under:
Nouns denoting natural processes
Synonyms:
meiosis; miosis; reduction division
Hypernyms ("miosis" is a kind of...):
cell division; cellular division (the process in reproduction and growth by which a cell divides to form daughter cells)
Meronyms (parts of "miosis"):
segregation ((genetics) the separation of paired alleles during meiosis so that members of each pair of alleles appear in different gametes)
prophase (the first stage of meiosis)
metaphase (the second stage of meiosis)
karyokinesis (organic process consisting of the division of the nucleus of a cell during mitosis or meiosis)
cytokinesis (organic process consisting of the division of the cytoplasm of a cell following karyokinesis bringing about the separation into two daughter cells)
anaphase (the stage of meiosis or mitosis when chromosomes move toward opposite ends of the nuclear spindle)
telophase (the final stage of meiosis when the chromosomes move toward opposite ends of the nuclear spindle)
Domain category:
genetic science; genetics (the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "miosis"):
nondisjunction (meiosis in which there is a failure of paired homologous chromosomes to separate; results in an abnormal number of chromosomes in the daughter cells)
Meaning:
Reflex contraction of the sphincter muscle of the iris in response to a bright light (or certain drugs) causing the pupil to become smaller
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Synonyms:
light reflex; pupillary reflex; miosis; myosis
Hypernyms ("miosis" is a kind of...):
inborn reflex; innate reflex; instinctive reflex; physiological reaction; reflex; unconditioned reflex (an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus)
