blastodisc
nounUK /ˈblæstəʊdɪsk/
US /ˈblæstoʊdɪsk/
A tiny flat spot on an egg where the baby animal starts to grow.
The scientist looked at the blastodisc under a microscope to see the first cells forming.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The small disc-shaped area of cytoplasm on the surface of a yolk-rich egg where cell division begins.
In bird eggs, the blastodisc sits on top of the yolk.
3. A flattened region of the blastula in reptiles, birds, and mammals that gives rise to the embryo.
The blastodisc flattens as the embryo develops.
4. The embryonic shield in a fertilized egg before cleavage starts.
Researchers marked the blastodisc to track early development.