Ciliation

/sɪliˈeɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The process of forming cilia or the state of having cilia; also refers to the arrangement and pattern of cilia on an organism.

Etymology

From 'ciliate' plus the suffix '-ion' meaning 'the action or process of,' creating a noun describing the formation or condition of having cilia.

Kelly Says

The pattern of cilia on different organisms is so distinctive that scientists can identify species by their ciliation pattern alone—it's like a ciliate's fingerprint, and it's a key feature used in taxonomy!

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