amnion

American  

[am-nee-uhn] / ˈæm ni ən /

noun

plural

amnions, amnia

1. Anatomy, Zoology. the innermost of the embryonic or fetal membranes of reptiles, birds, and mammals; the sac in which the embryo is suspended.

2. Zoology. a similar membrane of insects and other invertebrates.

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amnion British  

/ ˈæmnɪən /

noun

1. the innermost of two membranes enclosing an embryonic reptile, bird, or mammal See also chorion

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amnion Scientific  

/ ăm′nē-ən /

1. A thin, membranous sac filled with a watery fluid (called the amniotic fluid) in which the embryo or fetus of a reptile, bird, or mammal is suspended during prenatal development.

2. Also called amniotic sac

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Etymology

Origin of amnion

1660–70; < Greek, equivalent to amn ( ós ) lamb ( yean ) + -ion diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

He had two emergency corneal transplants and three amnion grafts, where tissue from the inner lining of a donated placenta was used to save his eye.

From BBC

A method to correctly specify amnion formation is important to be able to recapitulate human embryo development as closely as possible using stem cell-based embryo models.

From Science Daily

Its major adaptive advantage is the amnion — an enclosing membrane that prevents the embryo from drying out, and the principal feature to which the amniotic egg owes its name.

From Nature

Until recently, pre-natal screening required invasive procedures such as amniocentesis, in which the fluid from the sac surrounding the foetus, the amnion, is sampled and the DNA examined for genetic abnormalities.

From Scientific American

S, serosa; A, amnion; E, ectoderm; N, rudiment of nerve-cord; M, mesodermal pouches.

From Project Gutenberg