blastema

noun

blas·​te·​ma bla-ˈstē-mə 

plural blastemas or blastemata bla-ˈstē-mə-tə 

: a mass of undifferentiated cells capable of growth and differentiation

blastemal

bla-ˈstē-məl 

adjective

or blastematic

ˌbla-stə-ˈma-tik 

Examples of blastema in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Medical Definition

blastema

noun

blas·​te·​ma bla-ˈstē-mə 

plural blastemas also blastemata -mət-ə 

: a mass of living substance capable of growth and differentiation

blastematic

ˌblas-tə-ˈmat-ik 

adjective

or blastemic

bla-ˈstē-mik  -ˈstem-ik