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definitions

polar body

noun Cell Biology.

one of the minute cells arising from the unequal meiotic divisions of the ovum at or near the time of fertilization.

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Nearby words

  1. polanski,
  2. polar,
  3. polar angle,
  4. polar axis,
  5. polar bear,
  6. polar bond,
  7. polar cap,
  8. polar cataract,
  9. polar circle,
  10. polar coordinate

Origin of polar body

First recorded in 1885–90
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for polar body

polar body

noun

physiol a tiny cell containing little cytoplasm that is produced with the ovum during oogenesis when the oocyte undergoes meiosis
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

Medicine definitions for polar body

polar body

n.

Either of two small cells formed by the ovum during its maturation, the first usually released just before ovulation and the second not until after the ovum has been discharged from the ovary and penetrated by a sperm cell.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for polar body

polar body

One of the small cells that are produced during the development of an oocyte and ultimately degenerate. A polar body contains one of the nuclei derived from the first or second meiotic division but little or no cytoplasm. See Note at oogenesis.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.