noun
- Plural of gastrulation; the process in embryonic development in which a single layer of cells reorganizes into multiple layers, forming the basic body plan of an organism.
Usage: biology; developmental biology; technical term
Examples
- During gastrulations, the embryo transforms from a blastula into a gastrula.
- Scientists study gastrulations in different species to understand how body structures form.
- The timing and mechanics of gastrulations vary significantly across animal phyla.
- Gastrulations involve cell migration, invagination, and the formation of germ layers.
- Researchers observed abnormal gastrulations in the mutant embryos under the microscope.