alternation of generations: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Academic
Quick answer
What does “alternation of generations” mean?
A biological life cycle involving two or more distinct phases that alternate, typically a sexual phase and an asexual phase.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A biological life cycle involving two or more distinct phases that alternate, typically a sexual phase and an asexual phase.
In a broader sense, it can refer to any recurring pattern of change or succession between two different states, forms, or groups in various systems.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or definitional differences. The term is standard in international scientific English.
Connotations
Purely technical, with no regional connotative differences.
Frequency
Equally rare outside biological contexts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “alternation of generations” in a Sentence
The [organism] exhibits an alternation of generations.An alternation of generations occurs in [group of organisms].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “alternation of generations” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The lifecycle alternates between haploid and diploid phases.
- The species alternates generations.
American English
- The lifecycle alternates between haploid and diploid phases.
- The species alternates generations.
adverb
British English
- The phases develop alternately.
- The generations exist alternately.
American English
- The phases develop alternately.
- The generations exist alternately.
adjective
British English
- The alternation-of-generations life cycle is complex.
- This is an alternational pattern.
American English
- The alternation-of-generations lifecycle is complex.
- This is an alternational pattern.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Core term in botany, zoology, and biology textbooks and research papers.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Precise descriptor for life cycles in plants, algae, fungi, and some protists and animals.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “alternation of generations”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “alternation of generations”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “alternation of generations”
- Using it to mean simply 'parents and children alternating tasks'.
- Pronouncing 'generations' with a hard 'g' as in 'get'.
- Omitting the 's' on 'generations'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a specific pattern or strategy within a life cycle that includes both sexual and asexual reproductive phases.
Yes, all plants exhibit some form of alternation of generations, though the dominance and independence of the phases vary greatly (e.g., in mosses vs. flowering plants).
It is extremely rare outside of biological contexts. Using it in social or business contexts would likely cause confusion.
They are largely synonymous, though 'metagenesis' is sometimes used more specifically in zoology (e.g., for cnidarians like jellyfish), while 'alternation of generations' is the broader, more common term in botany and general biology.
A biological life cycle involving two or more distinct phases that alternate, typically a sexual phase and an asexual phase.
Alternation of generations is usually technical/academic in register.
Alternation of generations: in British English it is pronounced /ˌɔːltəˌneɪʃən əv ˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃənz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɔːltərˌneɪʃən əv ˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃənz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'ALTERnating' between two different forms, like a train switching between two tracks (generations).
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE CYCLE IS A TWO-TRACK RAILWAY.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'alternation of generations' specifically refer to in biology?