Hayflick limit

noun

The number of times that a normal cell population will divide before it stops, presumably because the telomeres shorten to a critical length.

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Meanings

nounHayflick limit (plural Hayflick limits)

plural Hayflick limits

  1. biologyThe number of times that a normal cell population will divide before it stops, presumably because the telomeres shorten to a critical length.

Origin

Named after Leonard Hayflick, who discovered it in 1961.

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Cite this entry
APA

Hayflick limit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hayflick%20limit

MLA

“Hayflick limit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hayflick%20limit. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Hayflick limit,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Hayflick%20limit.

Source: Hayflick limit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.