maturation (redirected from Life stages)

maturation /mat·u·ra·tion/ (mach-u-ra´shun)

1. the process of becoming mature.

2. attainment of emotional and intellectual maturity.

3. in biology, a process of cell division during which the number of chromosomes in the germ cells is reduced to one half the number characteristic of the species.

4. suppuration.

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mat·u·ra·tion (mch-rshn)

n.

1. The process of becoming mature.

2. Production or discharge of pus.

3. The processes by which gametes are formed, including the reduction of chromosomes in a germ cell from the diploid number to the haploid number by meiosis.

4. The final differentiation processes in biological systems, such as the attainment of total functional capability by a cell, a tissue, or an organ.

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matu·ration·al adj.

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Maturation

The process by which stem cells transform from immature cells without a specific function into a particular type of blood cell with defined functions.

Mentioned in: Leukemias, Chronic

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maturation

[mach′ərā′shən]

Etymology: L, maturare, to ripen

1 the process or condition of attaining complete development. In humans it is the unfolding of full physical, emotional, and intellectual capacities that enable a person to function at a higher level of competency and adaptability within the environment.

2 the final stages in the meiotic formation of germ cells in which the number of chromosomes in each cell is reduced to the haploid number characteristic of the species. See also meiosis, oogenesis, spermatogenesis.

3 suppuration. maturate, v.

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maturation (mach´rā´shn),

n the process through which an organism or body structure arrives at a state of complete development. In dentistry, this is the point at which an individual's periodontium or its parts have reached their full adult form, size, and function.

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maturation

1. the stage or process of attaining maximal development. In biology, a process of cell division during which the number of chromosomes in the germ cell is reduced to one-half the number characteristic of the species.

2. the formation of pus.

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maturation arrest

an interruption in the progressive development of erythrocytes, characterized by a bone marrow dominated by macrocytes and megaloblasts. Seen in anemias caused by deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B₁₂.