passaging
1
8.9
- noun
- /ˈpæsɪdʒɪŋ/
- Specialized
- They documented the passaging process to ensure accurate results during their experiment.
Examples
-
The scientist focused on passaging the cells to a new growth medium for optimal development.
-
And he did that by passaging it in, in cell culture, in cells that it normally didn't grow in.
-
Successful passaging is essential for maintaining healthy cell cultures in the laboratory.
Surface Forms
Morphology
passaging = passage (opaque) = pass + age + ing
The noun is formed with the regular '-ing' suffix on 'passage', but the laboratory meaning is a specialized technical sense that is not predictable from the ordinary meanings of the parts.
Etymology
Passaging comes from the same idea as pass and passage, which mean 'to move from one place to another'. In a lab, passaging is the act of moving cells into a new dish with fresh food so they can keep growing, so the name fits because the cells are being 'passed' to a new home.