blastula

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An early form in the development of an embryo, consisting of a spherical layer of cells filled with fluid; a blastosphere.

Pronunciation

/ˈblæst͡ʃələ/

Word forms

blastula blastulas blastulae

Etymology

From New Latin blastula, diminutive of Ancient Greek βλαστός (blastós, “a germ, bud, sprout, shoot”), from βλαστάνω (blastánō, “to bud, sprout, grow, properly of plants, but also of animals”).

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