Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🧬 Endless cell life 🏅 Lasting remembrance
immortalization

immortalization

1 8.9
A process that makes cells keep dividing and not get older
  • noun
  • /ɪˌmɔːrtəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : inmortalización
  • The researchers discovered a new technique for immortalization that allows cells to divide indefinitely without aging.

Examples

  • Advances in immortalization techniques have greatly improved the study of cellular aging and regeneration.

  • These genes control a variety of cellular processes, including proliferation and immortalization.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Immortalization and transformation functions are associated with the E6 and E7 genes of high-risk HPV.

    Blog text (15)

  • The lab focused on the immortalization of human cells to support long-term experiments without losing viability.

Antonyms

senescence
  • Specialized
3 8.9

To grow older and have physical changes in the body

How Long-Lived

immortalization
  • Specialized
1 8.9
senescence
  • Specialized
3 8.9

Surface Forms

immortalization singular
immortalizations plural

Morphology

immortalization = immortalize (semi-transparent) = im + mortal + ize + ation

Formation from 'immortalize' by '-ation' is morphologically regular.

Etymology

Immortalization is also used in biology for a process that makes cells 'not die' so they can divide for a very long time. It comes from im- 'not' and mort 'death', the same root as mortal, so today's meaning is 'not dying' applied to cells.