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Glite Dictionary
🩺 Many colon growths 🐚 Many coral polyps
polyposis

polyposis

9.4
Many small growths form on colonies of sea animals like corals
  • noun
  • /ˌpɒlɪˈpoʊsɪs/
  • Specialized
: poliposis
  • The coral reef suffered from severe polyposis due to environmental changes.

Examples

  • Researchers noted that polyposis can impact the reproductive success of certain coral species.

  • The marine reserve showed a high incidence of polyposis among its hydroid populations.

  • Scientists studied the effects of polyposis on coral reef health in the Pacific Ocean.

  • In marine biology, polyposis can indicate unhealthy coral colonies.

  • Scientists studied the effects of polyposis on coral colony diversity in the Pacific Ocean.

  • The marine reserve revealed a significant occurrence of polyposis affecting its hydroid populations.

  • In marine biology, researchers find that polyposis can indicate declining health in coral reefs.

Surface Forms

polyposis singular
polyposes plural

Morphology

polyposis = polyp (semi-transparent) = polyp + osis

Built from 'polyp' + medical suffix '-osis' to indicate the state of having many polyps; the structure is clear but relies on technical morphology.

Etymology

Polyposis comes from poly- 'many', polyp 'a small sea animal or growth', and -osis 'condition'. So polyposis can mean 'many polyps' living together, as in coral colonies, and that is why scientists use it for many small animals or growths in the sea.