a reversal of cell development, esp. in plants, so that the differentiation that had occurred previously is lost and the cell becomes more generalized in structure
See dedifferentiation in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun Biology
Regression of a specialized cell or tissue to a simpler, more embryonic, unspecialized form. Dedifferentiation may occur before the regeneration of appendages in plants and certain animals and in the development of some cancers.