blastema

American  

[bla-stee-muh] / blæˈsti mə /

noun

Embryology.

plural

blastemas, blastemata

1. an aggregation of cells in an early embryo, capable of differentiation into specialized tissue and organs.

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blastema British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• blastemal adjective
• blastematic adjective
• blastemic adjective

Etymology

Origin of blastema

1840–50; < New Latin < Greek blástēma ( blastē- verbid stem of blasteîn to sprout + -ma noun suffix denoting result of action)

Example Sentences

Jellyfish, along with other cnidarians such as corals and sea anemones, exhibit high regeneration abilities, but how they form the critical blastema has remained a mystery until now.

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2023

"Ultimately, understanding blastema formation mechanisms in regenerative animals, including jellyfish, may help us identify cellular and molecular components that improve our own regenerative abilities."

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2023

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.

From Science Daily • Dec. 22, 2023

Petersen, C. P. & Reddien, P. W. Smed-βcatenin-1 is required for anteroposterior blastema polarity in planarian regeneration.

From Nature • Nov. 21, 2017

Others maintain that cells and tissues of all kinds may be formed, independently of pre-existing cells, from plastic lymph or blastema.

From The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication — Volume 2 by Darwin, Charles