segregation

1. Removal of certain parts from a mass, e.g., those with infectious diseases. 2. Separation of contrasting characters in the offspring of heterozygotes. 3. Separation of the paired state of genes, which occurs at the reduction division of meiosis; only one member of each somatic gene pair is normally included in each sperm or ovum; e.g., an individual heterozygous for a gene pair, Aa, will form gametes half containing gene A and half containing gene a. 4. Progressive restriction of potencies in the zygote to the following embryo. [L. segrego, pp. -atus, to set apart from the flock, separate]

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seg·re·ga·tion .seg-ri-'gā-shən n the separation of allelic genes that occurs typically during meiosis

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seg·re·ga·tion (seg″rə-gaґshən) [L. segregatio separation] 1. in genetics, the separation of allelic genes during meiosis as homologous chromosomes begin to migrate toward the poles of the cell, so that eventually the members of each pair of allelic genes go to separate gametes. 2. the progressive restriction of potencies in the zygote to the various regions of the forming embryo.