Preformation (Noun)
Meaning
A theory (popular in the 18th century and now discredited) that an individual develops by simple enlargement of a tiny fully formed organism (a homunculus) that exists in the germ cell.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The concept of preformation suggested that the development of a fetus occurred when a homunculus inside a sperm or egg grew into a full-grown adult.
- Historians note that the preformation theory persisted well into the 18th century, despite its eventual discrediting by scientific evidence.
- Preformation led some scientists to propose that certain characteristics were passed down through generations via tiny fully formed organisms rather than genes.
- Although now widely discredited, the preformation theory captivated many during the Enlightenment era due to its perceived simplicity and logic.
- Despite the flawed premise of preformation, it laid the groundwork for modern embryonic research and developmental biology.