SINCE 1828

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gemmule

noun gem·mule \ ˈjem-(ˌ)yül \

Definition of gemmule

:a small bud:

a :a theoretical particle proposed in the theory of pangenesis that is shed by a somatic cell and contains all the information necessary to reproduce that cell type (as in an offspring)

b :a reproductive bud produced by freshwater and some marine sponges that consists of a usually hardened aggregate of cells

Origin and Etymology of gemmule

French, from Latin gemmula, diminutive of gemma

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1828

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

gemmule

noun gem·mule \ ˈjem-(ˌ)yü(ə)l \

medical Definition of gemmule

1 :a theoretical particle in the theory of pangenesis that is shed by a somatic cell and contains all the information necessary to reproduce that cell type (as in an offspring)

2 :a minute thorny process of a nerve-cell dendrite

Learn More about gemmule

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gemmule

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