Gastrula (Noun)
Meaning
Double-walled stage of the embryo resulting from invagination of the blastula; the outer layer of cells is the ectoderm and the inner layer differentiates into the mesoderm and endoderm.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The gastrula stage is a critical period in embryonic development, during which the blastula undergoes a series of complex cellular movements and transformations.
- In the gastrula, the ectoderm gives rise to the central nervous system, skin, and other external tissues, while the endoderm forms the lining of the digestive tract and associated organs.
- During gastrulation, the blastula folds inward to form a gastrula, with the ectoderm on the outside and the endoderm on the inside.
- The gastrula stage is characterized by the formation of the archenteron, a primitive gut that will eventually give rise to the digestive system.
- In some species, the gastrula stage is followed by the formation of a blastopore, a small opening that will eventually become the anus.