morula

American  

[mawr-oo-luh, -yoo-] / ˈmɔr ʊ lə, -yʊ- /

noun

Embryology.

plural

morulas, morulae

1. the mass of cells resulting from the cleavage of the ovum before the formation of a blastula.

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morula British  

/ ˈmɒrjʊlə /

noun

1. embryol a solid ball of cells resulting from cleavage of a fertilized ovum

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morula Scientific  

/ môr′yə-lə /

plural

morulae

1. The spherical embryonic mass of blastomeres that results from cleavage of the fertilized ovum and develops into the blastula.

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Other Word Forms

• morular
  adjective
• premorular
  adjective
• pseudomorular
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of morula

1855–60; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin mōr ( um ) mulberry + -ula -ule

Compare meaning

How does morula compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• morula vs. blastula

Example Sentences

At this stage of development, called the morula, there are 30-60 cells.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Sometimes, Ramos can wait for the embryo to become a morula, which looks like a blackberry, or a blastula, which looks like a soccer ball, before transferring the embryo to the woman's uterus.

From Slate • May 23, 2012

By continued total cleavage the morula, or mulberry-shaped cluster of cells, is formed.

From The Evolution of Man — Volume 2 by Haeckel, Ernst Heinrich Philipp August

To have some idea of those ancestors of our race that succeeded phylogenetically to the Moraeada, we have only to follow the further embryonic development of the morula.

From The Evolution of Man — Volume 2 by Haeckel, Ernst Heinrich Philipp August

Next, within this morula some of the cells become condensed into one particular portion, leaving a space which contains fluid.

From Embryology The Beginnings of Life by Leighton, Gerald R.