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optic cup
noun
: the optic vesicle after invaginating to form a 2-layered cup from which the retina and pigmented layer of the eye will develop
called also eyecup
Examples of optic cup in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Just as in normal embryonic development, over the course of about a week the cells organized themselves into a small sac that spontaneously folded itself in half to form the optic cup, a structure that consists of the retina and its supporting layer.
—Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2011
The stem cells formed a sac that then folded in half a couple days later (see image above, courtesy of Nature), forming the optic cup.
—Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2011
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1882, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near optic cup
Cite this Entry
“Optic cup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optic%20cup. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
optic cup
noun
: the optic vesicle after invaginating to form a 2-layered cup from which the retina and pigmented layer of the eye will develop
called also eyecup
More from Merriam-Webster on optic cup
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about optic cup
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