Nota: A tradução desta entrada está atualmente em revisão de qualidade, portanto parte do conteúdo é exibida temporariamente apenas em inglês.
Este verbete ainda não foi traduzido para o seu idioma, portanto o original é exibido abaixo.
germ layer
This term is a specialized biological descriptor used almost exclusively in embryology and developmental biology. It refers to the foundational cellular sheets—ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm—that establish the body plan of a triploblastic organism. Because it describes a specific structural stage of development, it is rarely used outside of scientific, medical, or academic contexts.
While the term is used as a countable noun, it is frequently encountered in the plural form when discussing the three distinct layers collectively. It functions as a compound noun where "germ" acts as a modifier meaning "seed" or "origin," rather than referring to a microorganism.
Meanings
Examples
The embryo develops three distinct germ layer types during gastrulation.
Which germ layer gives rise to the nervous system?
The ectoderm is the outermost germ layer of the developing embryo.
I wonder if this specific protein influences the fate of the germ layer.
Most complex animals are triploblastic meaning they have three germ layer types.
The mesoderm is the middle germ layer that eventually forms muscles and bones.
The endoderm is the innermost germ layer and forms the lining of the gut.
We need to identify which germ layer these cells originated from.