mesoderm
nounUK /ˈmɛsəʊdɜːm/
US /ˈmɛsəˌdɜrm/
The middle layer of cells in a young animal that grows into bones, muscles, and blood.
During development, the mesoderm forms the muscles and skeleton of the embryo.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The middle of the three primary germ layers in a triploblastic embryo.
The mesoderm lies between the ectoderm and endoderm in the gastrula.
3. The tissue derived from the mesodermal germ layer.
Muscle and connective tissue are mesoderm derivatives.
4. In botany, a layer of tissue between the epidermis and the vascular tissue in some plant structures.
The mesoderm of the leaf primordium gives rise to the mesophyll.