noun
- A mass of undifferentiated cells from which an organ or body part develops or regenerates.
Usage: biology; developmental biology
Examples
- The blastema forms during early embryonic development and gives rise to various tissues.
- In amphibians, a blastema appears at the site of a lost limb and enables regeneration.
- The blastema contains pluripotent cells capable of differentiating into specialized structures.
- Scientists study the blastema to understand how organisms rebuild damaged body parts.
- During limb regeneration in salamanders, the blastema is essential for restoring lost tissue.