The process of removing or eliminating repression, particularly in psychology (where repressed thoughts emerge) or in genetics (where silent genes become active).
From de- (remove) + repression (from Latin reprimere). While Freud used 'repression' for psychological suppression, molecular biologists adopted 'derepression' in the 1960s to describe genetic regulation.
Freud talked about unconscious repression of memories and desires, but today's scientists use 'derepression' in the lab to describe genes 'remembering' how to work again—a bizarre intersection of psychology and genetics!
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