micropyle
Zoology. any minute opening in an ovum through which a spermatozoon can enter, as in many insects.
Botany. the minute orifice or opening in the integuments of an ovule.
Origin of micropyle
1Other words from micropyle
- mi·cro·py·lar, adjective
Words Nearby micropyle
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use micropyle in a sentence
If I have time I will have another look at pollen-tubes, as, from what you say, they ought to find their way to the micropyle.
More Letters of Charles Darwin Volume II | Charles DarwinThe embryo e, with its suspensor, is contained in the sac, the radicle pointing to the micropyle m.
The base of the nucellus is indicated by the chalaza ch, while the apex is at the micropyle m.
Hence, by ascertaining the position of the micropyle and chalaza, the two extremities of the embryo can in general be discovered.
It has been already stated that the radicle of the embryo is directed to the micropyle, and the cotyledons to the chalaza.
British Dictionary definitions for micropyle
/ (ˈmaɪkrəʊˌpaɪl) /
a small opening in the integuments of a plant ovule through which the male gametes pass
a small pore in the shell of an insect's eggs through which the sperm passes
Origin of micropyle
1Derived forms of micropyle
- micropylar, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for micropyle
[ mī′krə-pīl′ ]
A minute opening in the ovule of a seed plant through which the pollen tube usually enters.
A pore in the membrane covering the ovum of some animals through which a spermatozoon can enter.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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