Mitogen
/ˈmaɪ.tə.dʒən/noun
A substance that stimulates cells to begin mitosis and divide.
Did you know?The name ultimately evokes Greek mitos, “thread,” because chromosomes were described as threadlike structures during cell division.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
μίτος (mitos)
“Thread or yarn; later used metaphorically for a threadlike structure.”
19th Century
Greek-derived scientific English
μίτωσις (mitōsis)
“A process named for the threadlike appearance of chromosomes during nuclear division.”
1882
German
Mitose
“The term introduced by Walther Flemming for ordinary nuclear division, based on the chromosome threads he observed.”
Late 19th Century
Scientific English
mitosis
“Cell division in which replicated chromosomes are distributed into two nuclei.”
1890s
English
mitogen
“A coined scientific term for a substance that induces or promotes mitosis.”
Modern English
English
mitogen
“A signaling substance that stimulates cellular proliferation, often by activating pathways leading to mitosis.”