Chemotaxis
- Pronunciation
- /kih-moh-TAKS-iss/
- Category
- Behavior
- Singular
- Chemotaxis
- Plural
- Chemotaxes
Definition
The directed movement of an organism or cell in response to a chemical stimulus.
Etymology
From Greek 'khemo-', meaning 'chemical', and 'taxis', meaning 'arrangement' or 'order'.
Example
The chemotaxis of neutrophils towards bacterial pathogens helps to direct the immune response to the site of infection.
Related Terms
- Movement
- Immune Response
- Phagocytosis
- Signal transduction