kinesis

(noun)

the undirected movement of an organism in response to an external stimulus

Related Terms

Examples of kinesis in the following topics:

  • Movement and Migration

    • Innate behaviors, such as kinesis, taxis, and migration, are instinctual responses to external stimuli.
    • Another activity or movement of innate behavior is kinesis: undirected movement in response to a stimulus.
    • A similar, but more-directed version of kinesis is taxis: the directed movement towards or away from a stimulus.

  • Defining Kinematics

    • The word "kinematics" comes from a Greek word "kinesis" meaning motion, and is related to other English words such as "cinema" (movies) and "kinesiology" (the study of human motion).