germdisc
nounUK /ˈdʒɜːm dɪsk/
US /ˈdʒɜːrm dɪsk/
A tiny flat circle in a baby animal that grows into a whole new animal.
The scientist looked at the germdisc under the microscope to see how the baby fish was forming.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The small round patch of cells on a yolk where an embryo starts to grow in birds and reptiles.
The germdisc on the yolk is where the chick begins to develop.
3. A flat layer of cells in early development that gives rise to the main body layers.
Cells in the germdisc split into three layers during gastrulation.
4. A disc-shaped region in a seed or spore from which new growth begins.
The germdisc in the seed swells with water before sprouting.