Definition of Ovum
1. Noun. The female reproductive cell; the female gamete.
Specialized synonyms: Egg, Ootid, Ovule
Generic synonyms: Gamete
Group relationships: Female Reproductive System
Derivative terms: Ovulate
Definition of Ovum
1. n. A more or less spherical and transparent mass of granular protoplasm, which by a process of multiplication and growth develops into a mass of cells, constituting a new individual like the parent; an egg, spore, germ, or germ cell. See Illust. of Mycropyle.
Definition of Ovum
1. Noun. (cytology) The female gamete in animals; the egg cell. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Definition of Ovum
1. the female reproductive cell of animals [n OVA]
Medical Definition of Ovum
1. 1. The female reproductive cell which, after fertilization, develops into a new member of the same species (von Baer, 1827), an egg. 2. The human ovum: a round cell about 0.1 mm. In diameter, produced in the ovary, where there is deposited around it a noncellular covering (oolemma, zona pellucida, zona radiata). It consists of protoplasm which contains some yolk, enclosed by a thin cell wall (vitelline membrane). There is a large nucleus (germinal vesicle), within which is a nucleolus (germinal spot). By extension, the word is also used to designate any early stage of the conceptus, when the embryo itself constitutes a tiny and insignificant part of the whole. This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology (11 Mar 2008)
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Lexicographical Neighbors of Ovum
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