Preformationism
FORMERLY-POPULAR THEORY THAT ORGANISMS DEVELOP FROM MINIATURE VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES
Preformation; Spermist theory; Preformism; Pre-formationism
In the history of biology, preformationism (or preformism) is a formerly popular theory that organisms develop from miniature versions of themselves. Instead of assembly from parts, preformationists believed that the form of living things exist, in real terms, prior to their development.