blastema

noun

blas·​te·​ma bla-ˈstē-mə How to pronounce blastema (audio)
plural blastemas or blastemata bla-ˈstē-mə-tə How to pronounce blastema (audio)
: a mass of undifferentiated cells capable of growth and differentiation
blastemal adjective
or blastematic

Examples of blastema in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Most cells making up the blastema are not stem cells from the bulb that migrate to the tip. Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2024 Thanks to that cocktail, in 25 animals the tissue created a blastema — no nerve necessary. Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2020 What determines which cells migrate into a blastema, and which stay put? Amber Dance, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2020 The first phase of the Pentagon’s plan to regrow soldiers’ limbs is complete; scientists managed to turn human skin into the equivalent of a blastema — a mass of undifferentiated cells that can develop into new body parts. Noah Shachtman, WIRED, 25 Mar. 2009

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek blástēma "shoot, offshoot," from blastē-, variant stem of blastánein, aorist blasteîn "to bud, sprout, grow" + -ma, resultative noun suffix — more at -blast

First Known Use

circa 1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blastema was circa 1823

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Cite this Entry

“Blastema.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blastema. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Medical Definition

blastema

noun
blas·​te·​ma bla-ˈstē-mə How to pronounce blastema (audio)
plural blastemas also blastemata -mət-ə How to pronounce blastema (audio)
: a mass of living substance capable of growth and differentiation
blastematic adjective

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