preformation

名词 preformation:

1. 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
   同义词：theory of preformation

pre.for.ma.tion

n.（名词）
The act of shaping or forming in advance; prior formation.
预先形成：预先塑造或形成的行为；预先形成
A theory popular in the 8th century that all parts of an organism exist completely formed in the germ cell and develop only by increasing in size.
预成说：流行于8世纪，认为生物体的所有部分在生殖细胞时已完全成形而成长时只是增加尺寸的理论