polyphyletic

polyphyletic definition - medical

pol·y·phy·let·ic (pŏlˌē-fī-lĕtˈĭk)

adjective
  1. Descended or derived from more than one ancestral stock or source.
  2. Of or being the theory that blood cells are derived from several different stem cells, depending on the particular blood cell type.

Related Forms:

  • polˌy·phyˈle·tism (-fīˈlĭ-tĭzˌəm) noun

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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