meroblastic

[ mer-uh-blas-tik ]

adjective

, Embryology.

1. (of certain eggs) undergoing partial cleavage, resulting in unequal blastomeres.

meroblastic

/ ˌmɛrəʊˈblæstɪk /

adjective

1. embryol of or showing cleavage of only the non-yolky part of the zygote, as in birds' eggs Compare holoblastic

Derived Forms

• ˌmeroˈblastically, adverb

Other Words From

• mero·blasti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of meroblastic¹

First recorded in 1865–70; mero- + -blast + -ic

Example Sentences

Parablast, par′a-blast, n. the supplementary or nutritive yolk of a meroblastic egg or metovum—as distinguished from the archiblast, or formative yolk.—adj.

From Project Gutenberg

Latebra, lat′eb-ra, n. the cavity in the food-yolk of a meroblastic ovum.—adj.

From Project Gutenberg

Meroblast, mer′ō-blast, n. a meroblastic ovum.—adj.

From Project Gutenberg

Such a type of segmentation in which only part of the ovum segments is called meroblastic.

From Project Gutenberg

So far, the essential differences between the development of fowl and frog, the meroblastic segmentation, absence of a typical gastrula, and the primitive streak, seem comprehensible on the theory that such differences are due to the presence of an enormous amount of yolk.

From Project Gutenberg