imprinting

imprinting

 [im´print-ing]

a rapid kind of learning of certain species-specific behavior patterns that occurs with exposure to the proper stimulus at a critical stage of early life.

Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.

im·print·ing

(im'print-ing),

A particular kind of learning characterized by its occurrence in the first few hours of life; determines species-recognition behavior.

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

imprinting

Molecular biology The variable phenotypic expression of a gene, depending on paternal or maternal origin, a function of the methylation pattern; imprinted regions are more methylated and less transcriptionally active; the 'imprints' are erased and generated in early embryonic development of mammals Examples Insulin-like growth factor-2 and its receptor, fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelmann/happy puppet syndrome, Wilms' tumor. See Allele, Gene, Genomic imprinting, Inheritance, Locus Psychology Developmental learning restricted to certain early, critical or sensitive time periods of life, which stops when definitive learning occurs or when a critical period has passed; it is irreversible and characteristic of the species of organism being imprinted. See Critical period.

McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

im·print·ing

(im'print-ing)

A particular kind of learning characterized by its occurrence in the first few hours of life, which determines species-recognition behavior.

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

imprinting

1. The rapid early development in young animals of recognition of the ability to recognize and to be attracted to others of their own species or to similar surrogates.

2. In genetics, changes that occur in a gene in passing through the egg or the sperm so that maternal and paternal alleles differ at the start of embryonic life.

Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005

imprinting

1. an aspect of learning where there is the rapid development of a response to a particular stimulus at an early stage of development. Young animals ‘recognize’ the first object they see as a mother figure, and they can be ‘imprinted’ by objects other than members of their own species. For example, Konrad LORENZ ‘imprinted’ himself as a mother figure on young greylag geese. Imprinting also occurs in other areas of experience, for example, bird song, where young, inexperienced birds have adult calls ‘imprinted’ on them.
2. see GENOMIC IMPRINTING.

Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005

Imprinting

Process that silences a gene or group of genes. The genes are silenced depending on if they are inherited through the egg or the sperm.

Mentioned in: Prader-Willi Syndrome

Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.