germplasm

noun

germ·​plasm ˈjərm-ˌpla-zəm 

variants or less commonly germ plasm

1

a

: germ cells and their precursors serving as the bearers of heredity

b

: the genetic material of germ cells : genes

There is now a global effort to conserve the genetic material, or germplasm, of important crops.

—Omar Sattaur

The extraordinary precision and reliability of the replication of the germ plasm during each nuclear division …

—Ernst Mayr

2

: plant or animal material (such as seeds, pollen, rootstock, or sperm) that is collected and stored chiefly for future use in breeding, conservation, or research

The first U.S. facility for long-term preservation of crop germplasm, the National Seed Storage Laboratory at Fort Collins, CO, began storing collections of all major crops in 1958.

—Nigel J. H. Smith

Well-managed collections of germ plasm will give plant breeders a broader genetic base for producing new crops with greater resistance to pests, diseases and drought.

—John P. Reganold et al.

Examples of germplasm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the time, as Stone noted: The specter of the industralization of farming, privatization of germplasm, and eventual depeasantization in developing countries has proved a mighty stimulus to a range of green writers and activists. —Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2014

If species die out before their germplasm can be preserved, their promise will be lost for good. —Maryn McKenna, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2020

Semen samples were also taken from the bulls and sent to the germplasm bank in Colorado. —Maureen O'Hagan, Scientific American, 20 June 2019

For decades, Driscoll’s has been working with the germplasm of the White Carolina, the oldest strawberry cultivar. —Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Medical Definition

germplasm

noun

germ·​plasm ˈjərm-ˌpla-zəm 

variants also germ plasm

1

a

: germ cells and their precursors serving as the bearers of heredity

b

: the genetic material of germ cells : genes

2

: plant or animal material (as seeds, pollen, or sperm) that is collected and stored chiefly for future use in breeding, conservation, or research