blastocyst
the blastula of the mammalian embryo, consisting of an inner cell mass, a cavity, and an outer layer, the trophoblast.
Origin of blastocyst
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for blastocyst
/ (ˈblæstəʊˌsɪst) /
Also called: blastosphere the blastula of mammals: a sphere of cells (trophoblast) enclosing an inner mass of cells and a fluid-filled cavity (blastocoel)
another name for germinal vesicle
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 blastocyst
[ blăs′tə-sĭst′ ]
The modified blastula that is characteristic of placental mammals. It has an outer layer, known as a trophoblast, that participates in the development of the placenta. The inner layer of cells develops into the embryo.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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