epiblast

E1P3I1B3L1A1S1T1

noun

The outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm.

Similar
primitive ectoderm
Scrabble 12

Meanings

nounepiblast (plural epiblasts)

plural epiblasts

  1. biologyThe outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm.

    1993, Oded Khaner, 5: Axis Determination in the Avian Embryo, Roger A. Pederson, Current Topics in Developmental Biology, Volume 28, Academic Press, page 171, Hypoblasts from these stages were separated from the epiblasts and rotated 90 and 180°, relative to their posterior regions.

    3 more examples

    It has been demonstrated that the clonal descendants of individual epiblast cells could contribute to a variety of embryonic and extraembryonic tissues that are derived from all three germ layers (Lawson et al., 1991; Lawson and Pedersen, 1992).

    1999, Bruce P. Davidson, Anne Camus, Patrick P. L. Tam, “33: Cell Fate and Lineage Specification in the Gastrulating Mouse Embryo”, in Sally A. Moody, editor, Cell Lineage and Fate Determination, Academic Press, page 497

    The cells of the primitive embryoblast differentiate into two layers, the epiblast and the hypoblast.

    2006, Cynthia S. Cook, Kathleen K. Sulik, Kenneth W. Wright, “1: Embryology”, in Kenneth W. Wright, Peter H. Spiegel, Lisa Thompson, editors, Handbook of Pediatric Eye and Systemic Disease, Springer, page 1

    Shortly after the blastocyst implants, the epiblast elongates and begins receiving regionalized patterning signals that direct different compartments of it to differentiate into the definitive endoderm, the mesoderm, or the definitive ectoderm.

    2011, K. M. Loh, Boon Seng Soh, Wai Leong Tam, Bing Lim, “2: Molecular Principles Underlying Pluripotency and Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells”, in Ariff Bongso, Eng Hin Lee, editors, Stem Cells: From Bench to Bedside, World Scientific, page 26

    Synonyms: primitive ectoderm

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm.

Similar
primitive ectoderm

Origin

Translations

Irish eipeablast
  • eipeablastbiology: the outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm
Italian epiblasto
  • epiblastobiology: the outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm
Japanese 胚盤葉上層
  • 胚盤葉上層 (haiban'yō jōsō)biology: the outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm
Portuguese epiblasto
  • epiblastobiology: the outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm
Russian эпибласт
  • эпибласт (epiblast)biology: the outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm
Spanish epiblasto
  • epiblastobiology: the outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm
Tagalog muldaluyan
  • muldaluyanbiology: the outer layer of a blastula that, after gastrulation, becomes the ectoderm
Cite this entry
APA

epiblast. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epiblast

MLA

“epiblast.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epiblast. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “epiblast,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/epiblast.

Source: epiblast on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.