n. 1. The principle that living organisms develop only from other living organisms and not from nonliving matter. 2. Generation of living organisms from other living organisms. 3. See biosynthesis. 4. The supposed recurrence of the evolutionary stages of a species during the embryonic development and differentiation of a member of that species. Also called recapitulation. bi′o·ge·netic (-jə-nĕtĭk), bi′o·ge·neti·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj. bi′o·ge·neti·cal·ly adv. |
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