HealthAugust 15, 2026

pathogenesis

path-uh-JEN-uh-sis

Definition

The biological mechanism and developmental process by which a disease originates and progresses within an organism.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek words 'pathos' (suffering or disease) and 'genesis' (origin or creation), this term entered English in the 19th century to describe the complex medical process of disease development.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe how doctors are struggling to identify the biological cause of a 19-year-old's Alzheimer’s, noting that the pathogenesis remains unknown because there are no clear genetic triggers.

An extreme Alzheimer’s case is rewriting everything we thought we knew

Read the full article ↗

Futura, le média qui explore le monde

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