Extraembryonal

/ˌɛkstrəɛmˈbriːənəl/ adjective

Definition

Located, occurring, or developing outside the embryo proper; relating to structures that support an embryo but are not part of the embryo itself.

Etymology

From 'extra-' (outside) + 'embryonal' (relating to the embryo, from Greek 'embryon'). Medical term developed in 19th-century embryology to distinguish supporting tissues.

Kelly Says

The placenta is 'extraembryonal'—it grows right alongside your developing self in the womb but it's not actually part of you, and you shed it at birth; this distinction matters hugely for understanding how pregnancy actually works.

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