Endoderm
/ˈɛn.də.dɜːrm/noun
The inner germ layer in an embryo that develops into the lining of the digestive and respiratory systems and related organs.
Did you know?Endoderm was coined in modern scientific Greek from roots meaning “inside” and “skin,” and it sits beside ectoderm and mesoderm in a trio of names that make embryology feel almost ritualistic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰer-
“to hold firmly, support”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δέρμα (dérma)
“skin, hide”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐντός (entós)
“within, inside”
19th Century
French/Greek scientific coinage
endoderme
“the inner embryonic layer”
Modern English
English
endoderm
“the inner germ layer of an embryo”
Explore more surprising origins