pleomorphism

Term: pleomorphism

Literally meaning: “ability of having several forms”

Origin: Anc Greek

πλέον or πλείον/pleon or pleion(=the comparative of πολύς/polys=much)

+ μορφή/morphe(=shape, form)

Coined/History

by the French chemist and biologist Antoine Béchamp (1816–1908), in order to describe the ability of microbes to change from one form into another.

Definition

(biology): Pleomorphism is the ability of certain cells or organisms to take  multiple structural forms during their life cycle.