Blastopore

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The opening of the archenteron that develops into the mouth or anus in certain animal embryos
2. The primary opening in an early-stage organism that will eventually become a part of the digestive system, either the mouth or anus
3. A crucial developmental feature in some species, marking the site from which the gut forms during embryonic growth

Etymology: The blastopore is the opening that appears in a young embryo during gastrulation, and its name is built from two Greek pieces. The first, "blasto-", comes from "blastos", meaning "sprout" or "bud", from the Greek verb "blastanō", to sprout or germinate. The second, "pore", is an ordinary English word for a small opening, borrowed through Latin from the Greek "poros", meaning passage or way through. Put together, the name describes a bud-like beginning with a passage into it. In many animal embryos the blastopore is where the outer cell layer folds or rolls inward, and the cavity that becomes the gut forms from that opening. The term is a modern scientific compound built from classical roots, so it was coined by biologists rather than used by ancient Greek writers, which is why its parts carry their original meanings so transparently.

Synonyms: opening, orifice, aperture, mouth, vent