How Do You Spell HETEROPLASMIC?

Pronunciation: [hˌɛtɹə͡ʊplˈazmɪk] (IPA)

Heteroplasmic, pronounced /ˌhɛtəroʊˈplæzmɪk/, is a biological term that describes a phenomenon where different versions of mitochondrial DNA exist within a single individual or cell. The word is spelled with a "hetero-" prefix, meaning "different," and "plasmic," referring to the mitochondrial matrix. The pronunciation of heteroplasmic includes the stress on the second syllable, as well as the first syllable "het-" being pronounced with a short "e" sound. This specialized terminology is important for the study of genetic disorders and the understanding of cellular behavior.

HETEROPLASMIC Meaning and Definition

1. Heteroplasmic is an adjective used in the field of genetics to describe a particular characteristic of living organisms, specifically in relation to their cellular structure. The term refers to the presence of multiple types or variations of genetic material or DNA within a single individual's cells or within a specific organelle.

   In more precise terms, heteroplasmic pertains to situations where different alleles or gene variants are found within the genomes of mitochondria or certain other organelles in a cell or organism. This condition arises due to the existence of mutations or changes in an organism's genetic material over time, resulting in the coexistence of different versions of the same gene or DNA sequence within a cell or individual.

   Heteroplasmic conditions can have significant implications for an organism's physiology and development. As different variations of genetic material can have varying phenotypic effects, heteroplasmic individuals may exhibit a range of characteristics or traits that depend on the combination and proportion of different alleles present in their cells.

   Heteroplasmy can occur naturally or can be artificially induced through medical interventions, such as certain reproductive technologies. It is a topic of great interest and study in fields like evolutionary biology and medical genetics, as it plays a role in the understanding and diagnosis of various genetic disorders and disease processes.

Common Misspellings for HETEROPLASMIC

• geteroplasmic
• beteroplasmic
• neteroplasmic
• jeteroplasmic
• ueteroplasmic
• yeteroplasmic
• hwteroplasmic
• hsteroplasmic
• hdteroplasmic
• hrteroplasmic
• h4teroplasmic
• h3teroplasmic
• hereroplasmic
• heferoplasmic
• hegeroplasmic
• heyeroplasmic
• he6eroplasmic
• he5eroplasmic
• hetwroplasmic
• hetsroplasmic

Etymology of HETEROPLASMIC

The term "heteroplasmic" is derived from two Greek roots: "hetero-" meaning "different" and "plasma" meaning "something formed or molded". In the context of genetics, "plasm" refers to an elemental particle of germ or ancestral substance. Therefore, "heteroplasmic" refers to a condition where different forms of genetic material or substances are present within an organism, specifically within the cytoplasm of cells.