blastoderm

American  

[blas-tuh-durm] / ˈblæs təˌdɜrm /

noun

Embryology.

1. the primitive layer of cells that results from the segmentation of the ovum.

2. the layer of cells forming the wall of the blastula, and in most vertebrates enclosing a cavity or a yolk mass.

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blastoderm British  

/ ˈblæstəʊˌdɜːm /

noun

1. the layer of cells that surrounds the blastocoel of a blastula

2. a flat disc of cells formed after cleavage in a heavily yolked egg, such as a bird's egg

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Other Word Forms

• blastodermatic adjective
• blastodermic adjective

Etymology

Origin of blastoderm

First recorded in 1855–60; blasto- + -derm