Popularized in 16th-century alchemy and 19th-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, fully formed human. The concept has roots in preformationism as well as earlier folklore and alchemic traditions.

Mar 7, 2025 · homunculus, diminutive fully formed human body, historically believed to inhabit a germ cell (an egg or a sperm) and to have the capacity to increase in size, giving rise to an adult human.

A cortical homunculus (from Latin homunculus 'little man, miniature human'[1][2]) is a distorted representation of the human body, based on a neurological "map" of the areas and portions of the human brain dedicated to processing motor functions, and/or …

: a miniature adult that in the theory of preformation is held to inhabit the germ cell and to produce a mature individual merely by an increase in size. Latin, diminutive of homin-, homo human …

Aug 13, 2008 · The term homunculus is Latin for "little man." It is used in neurology today to describe the map in the brain of sensory neurons in each part of the body (the somatosensory homunculus).

In the Middle Ages, a homunculus was an artificial humanoid created through alembics and mysterious alchemy. In modern times, Penfield and Boldrey brewed their own version of the homunculus using more controlled, though no less controversial, ingredients. Their approach was systematic and laborious.

Imagine a tiny, fully formed human—this is the homunculus, a term that literally translates to ‘little man’ in Latin. It’s been used in different contexts, from alchemical creations to scientific models. In science, the most talked about types are the sensory and motor homunculi.

Der Homunkulus oder lateinisch Homunculus („Menschlein“) [1] bezeichnet einen künstlich geschaffenen (kleinen) Menschen. Die Idee des Homunkulus wurde im Spätmittelalter im Kontext alchemistischer Theorien entwickelt. Häufig erscheint der Homunkulus als dämonischer Helfer magischer Praktiken.

The concept of the homunculus, a miniature, fully formed human believed to exist within sperm or egg cells, has captivated the imagination of scholars, scientists, and artists for centuries.

A homunculus is a small human being. Popularized in 16th-century alchemy and 19th-century fiction, it has historically referred to the creation of a miniature, ...