differentiation
In embryology, the process by which cells become increasingly different and specialized, giving rise to more complex structures that have particular functions in the adult organism. For instance, embryonic cells may develop into nerve, muscle, or bone cells.
differentiation
A mathematical procedure for determining the gradient, or slope, of the tangent to any curve f(x) at any point x. Part of a branch of mathematics called differential calculus, it is used to solve problems involving continuously varying quantities (such as the change in velocity or altitude of a rocket), to find the rates at which these variations occur and to obtain maximum and minimum values for the quantities.
| In mathematics, a procedure for determining the derivative or gradient of the tangent to a curve f(x) at any point x. |
| The derivative may be regarded as the limit of the expression [f(x + δx) − f(x)]/δx as δx tends to zero. Graphically, this is equivalent to the gradient (slope) of the curve represented by y = f(x) at any point x. |
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