Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Same as
preformism .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun biology the
theory that allorganisms start their existence already in a predetermined form uponconception and this form does not change in the course of their lifetime (as opposed toepigenesis )
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The early history of embryology was riven between two opposing doctrines called preformationism and epigenesis.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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The early history of embryology was riven between two opposing doctrines called preformationism and epigenesis.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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In a further step, "preformationism" took this belief and eliminated the assembly altogether, saying instead that a tiny, whole human (homunculus) was contained in either the sperm or the egg, and that it was only a matter of growing this homunculus to a finished size.
Archive 2007-08-01 Heather McDougal 2007
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In a further step, "preformationism" took this belief and eliminated the assembly altogether, saying instead that a tiny, whole human (homunculus) was contained in either the sperm or the egg, and that it was only a matter of growing this homunculus to a finished size.
Puppetmaster Heather McDougal 2007
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For the reasons given, preformationism, at least in its original ‘Russian doll’ version, was always a non-starter.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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If preformationism is all about blueprints, epigenesis is about something more like a recipe or a computer program.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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The historical alternative to preformationism is epigenesis.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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The historical alternative to preformationism is epigenesis.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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The distinction I want to make in this chapter, which largely corresponds to the distinction between preformationism and epigenesis, is the distinction between planned architecture and self-assembly.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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Is there a version of preformationism that could be sensibly revived in the DNA age?
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH RICHARD DAWKINS 2009
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