blastema

[bla-stee-muh]

noun

Embryology.

plural

blastemas, blastemata 

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

Other Word Forms

• blastemic adjective
• blastemal adjective
• blastematic 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

Regenerating functional tissue across species, including salamanders and insects, relies on the ability to form a blastema, a clump of undifferentiated cells that can repair damage and grow into the missing appendage.

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In both cases, populations of stem cells called neoblasts cluster to form a mass called a blastema at the wound site in the tissue fragment, which in turn can regenerate different organs and tissues14.

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In the second, a mound of unspecialized cells called a blastema has formed atop the stump as a precursor to regrowth.

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Most regeneration research focuses on the stub—or blastema—that forms over the wound of a severed limb.

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Most regeneration research focuses on the stub — or blastema — that forms over the wound of a severed limb.

Read more on Nature