preformation
noun
pre·for·ma·tion
ˌprē-fȯr-ˈmā-shən 
1
: previous formation
2
: the now discredited theory that every germ cell contains the organism of its kind fully formed and that development involves merely an increase in size compare epigenesis sense 1, homunculus sense 2
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“Preformation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preformation. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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preformation
noun
pre·for·ma·tion
ˌprē-fȯr-ˈmā-shən
: a now discredited theory in biology that every germ cell contains the organism of its kind fully formed and complete in all its parts and that development involves merely an increase in size from microscopic proportions to those of the adult compare epigenesis
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