Holoblastic
/ˌhɒləˈblæstɪk/noun
Relating to cleavage in which the entire egg divides during early embryonic development.
Did you know?Holoblastic cleavage occurs in eggs with relatively little yolk, including those of humans, frogs, and sea urchins, where the whole egg participates in the earliest divisions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*solh₂os / *bʰel-
“Ancient roots associated respectively with wholeness and swelling, bursting, or shining”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὅλος (holos)
“Whole, entire, complete”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βλαστός (blastos)
“Sprout, shoot, germ, or embryo”
19th Century
Scientific Latin/English
holoblasticus / holoblastic
“Describing embryonic cleavage involving the entire egg”
Modern English
English
holoblastic
“Having complete cleavage of the egg during early embryonic development”