blastema

[ bla-stee-muh ]

noun

, Embryology.

, plural blas·te·mas, blas·te·ma·ta [bla-, stee, -m, uh, -t, uh].

1. an aggregation of cells in an early embryo, capable of differentiation into specialized tissue and organs.

blastema

/ blæˈstiːmə; blæˈstiːmɪk; -ˈstɛm- /

noun

1. a mass of undifferentiated animal cells that will develop into an organ or tissue: present at the site of regeneration of a lost part

Derived Forms

• blastemic, adjective

Other Words From

• blas·temal blas·te·mat·ic [blas-t, uh, -, mat, -ik], blas·te·mic [bla-, stee, -mik, -, steem, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of blastema¹

1840–50; < New Latin < Greek blástēma ( blastē- verbid stem of blasteîn to sprout + -ma noun suffix denoting result of action)

Word History and Origins

Origin of blastema¹

C19: from New Latin, from Greek: offspring, from blastos bud

Example Sentences

In animals, he says, the endogenous method is rare, and the customary origin is in an external blastema.

From Project Gutenberg

The first stage corresponds to the process of organization, the gelatine representing the blastema, and the drop the nucleus.

From Project Gutenberg

This mass of mesoblastic cells may be called the metanephric blastema.

From Project Gutenberg

He says the abnormal cell-forms present arise in some other way than by free cell-development out of an exuded blastema.

From Project Gutenberg

My first doubts of the blastema doctrine date from my researches on tubercle.

From Project Gutenberg