Morula

morula

[′mȯr·ə·lə]

(embryology)

A solid mass of blastomeres formed by cleavage of the eggs of many animals; precedes the blastula or gastrula, depending on the type of egg.

(invertebrate zoology)

A cluster of immature male gametes in which differentiation occurs outside the gonad; common in certain annelids.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Morula

 

a stage in the development of the embryo in multicellular animals, preceding the completion of the period of cleavage. In the morula stage, the embryo is a mass of cells (blastomeres) that resembles the aggregate fruit (“berry”) of the raspberry, blackberry, or mulberry. The morula stage is followed by the blastula stage.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.