Mesoderm
/ˈmɛz.ə.dɜːrm/noun
The middle layer of tissue in an embryo that develops into muscles, bones, blood, and connective tissue.
Did you know?Mesoderm was coined in the 19th century from Greek roots used in embryology, and its sister terms endoderm and ectoderm map the embryo like a three-layer cosmic blueprint.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
mesos
“middle”
Ancient Greek
Greek
derma
“skin”
19th Century
English
mesoderm
“the middle embryonic germ layer”
Modern English
English
mesoderm
“the middle layer of embryonic tissue that forms muscles, bones, blood, and connective tissue”
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