| discoidal cleavage | Meroblastic cleavage limited to the small cap (animal pole) of protoplasm of large-yolked eggs, such as the telolecithal eggs of birds. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| segmentation | <biology> Organisation of the body into repeating units called segments is a common feature of several phyla, for example arthropods and annelids, although the segments arise by very different mechanisms. Segmentation also occurs during embryonic development in vertebrates, for example partition of the mesoderm into somites and is a feature of early CNS development. See: rhombomeres, neuromeres. (18 Nov 1997) |
| segmentation cavity | The cavity in the blastula of a developing embryo. Synonym: blastocoele, cleavage cavity, segmentation cavity. Origin: blasto-+ G. Koilos, hollow (05 Mar 2000) |
| segmentation gene | <molecular biology> Genes required for the establishment of segmentation in the embryo. In Drosophila about 20 such genes are required. A development pattern of the embryo of the fruit fly Drosophila where the embryo looks like a stack of discs. Each disc is a segment, and each segment consists of two compartments (an anterior and posterior). Various parts of the adult fruit fly (wings, legs, eyes, etc.) arise from specific segments. (09 Oct 1997) |
| segmentation nucleus | The compound nucleus in the impregnated ovum, formed by conjugation of the nuclei of the ovum and spermatozoon (female and male pronuclei), the zygote nucleus after it commences the first cleavage division. (05 Mar 2000) |