Blastomere

/ˈblæstəmɪr/ noun

Definition

One of the individual cells created when a fertilized egg divides during the early stages of embryonic development.

Etymology

From Greek 'blasto-' (germ, bud) and 'meros' (part), coined in the 1800s to name the building-block cells of developing embryos.

Kelly Says

Each blastomere is like a Lego brick with a genetic instruction manual—in some species, a single isolated blastomere can still develop into a complete organism, proving early embryonic cells are remarkably flexible.

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