Amoeboidism

/əˈmiːbɔɪˌdɪzəm/ noun

Definition

The quality or condition of being amoeboid; the state of having amoeba-like properties or movement.

Etymology

From amoeboid + -ism (Greek -isma, a condition or practice). A term developed in late 19th-century biology to describe observable cellular behaviors.

Kelly Says

This word captures a fundamental strategy of life—shapeshifting gives organisms flexibility to navigate tight spaces, engulf food, and escape danger, a trick that worked so well that it's still used by billions of cells in your own body.

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