emb
ryo
Plural
embryos
1
an unhatched or unborn offspring in the process of development, especially a human offspring roughly from the second to the eighth week after fertilization
- During the first trimester, the human embryo undergoes rapid cell division and differentiation to form essential organs.
- The ultrasound showed the tiny heartbeat of the embryo, indicating a healthy early stage of pregnancy.
- Researchers study embryos to better understand the early stages of human development and congenital disorders.
- In the laboratory, scientists can observe the growth and development of a mouse embryo under controlled conditions.
- Ethical debates often arise around the use of human embryos in stem cell research and medical treatments.
Synonyms:
2
the young, undeveloped plant nestled inside a seed or the archegonium of ferns and mosses
- When you slice open a bean seed, you can spot the embryo coiled between its two seed leaves.
- Under the microscope, the fern archegonium reveals an embryo ready to grow a new frond.
- Each pumpkin seed carries an embryo that will fuel its first root and shoot during germination.
- The pine embryo lies dormant inside its seed coat until spring's warmth and moisture awaken it.
- Plant physiologists study a corn embryo's radicle emergence to understand early root development.