somite

somite
One of the paired, metamerically arranged cell masses formed in the early embryonic paraxial mesoderm; commencing in the third or early fourth week in the region of the hindbrain, they develop in a caudal direction typically until 42 pairs are formed. SYN: mesoblastic segment. [G. soma, body, + -ite]
- occipital s. one of the four most rostral somites; these become incorporated into the occipital region of the embryonic skull.

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so·mite 'sō-.mīt n one of the longitudinal series of segments into which the body of many animals (as articulate animals and vertebrates) is divided: METAMERE
so·mit·ic sō-'mit-ik adj

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n.
any of the paired segmented divisions of mesoderm that develop along the length of the early embryo. The somites differentiate into voluntary muscle, bones, connective tissue, and the deeper layers of the skin (see dermatome, myotome, sclerotome).

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so·mite (soґmīt) one of the paired, blocklike masses of mesoderm, arranged segmentally alongside the neural tube of the embryo, forming the vertebral column and segmental musculature; called also mesoblastic,mesodermic, primitive, primordial, or protovertebral segment.

Somites in a 22-day embryo.


Medical dictionary. 2011.

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Somite — Transverse section of half of a chick embryo of forty five hours incubation. The dorsal (back) surface of the embryo is towards the top of this page, while the ventral (front) surface is towards the bottom …   Wikipedia

  • somite — [ sɔmit ] n. m. • 1893; en angl. (1869); du gr. sôma « corps » ♦ Embryol. Chacune des petites masses de tissu conjonctif résultant de la segmentation du mésoblaste situé de part et d autre du tube neural (⇒ métamère, métamérie), et dont… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Somite — So mite (s[=o] m[imac]t), n. [Gr. sw^ma body.] (Anat. & Zo[ o]l.) One of the actual or ideal serial segments of which an animal, esp. an articulate or vertebrate, is composed; somatome; metamere. {So*mit ic}, a. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • somite — somite. См. сомит. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Somite — Somite, Ursegmente, in der Embryonalentwicklung der Chordatiere durch Gliederung des dorsalen Mesoderms entstehende, hintereinander liegende Segmente, aus denen sich im Verlauf der ⇒ Organbildung Anteile der Haut, die Skelettmuskulatur und die… …   Deutsch wörterbuch der biologie

  • somite — [sō′mīt΄] n. [< SOMA1 + ITE1] 1. METAMERE 2. a blocklike segment of mesodermal tissue in the vertebrate embryo, giving rise to muscle, bone, etc. somitic [sōmit′ik] adj. somital [sō′mit l] …   English World dictionary

  • somite — A body segment, especially of the abdomen [Chace and Hobbs, 1969]. Body segment, as in abdominal somites 1 6 [Poore, 2004]. Body segment, especially of the abdomen [Butler, T.H.]. Division of body (head, thorax, abdomen) with exoskeleton… …   Crustacea glossary

  • somite — a body segment. In the embryo an undifferentiated mesodermal component of an early trunk or tail segment or metamere, derived from paraxial mesoderm. The somite forms the myotome, sclerotome and perhaps dermatome …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • somite — somital /soh mi tl/, somitic /soh mit ik/, adj. /soh muyt/, n. 1. any of the longitudinal series of segments or parts into which the body of certain animals is divided; a metamere. 2. Embryol. one member of a series of paired segments into which… …   Universalium

  • somite — noun Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary, from Greek sōma body Date: 1869 one of the longitudinal series of segments into which the body of many animals is divided ; metamere …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Somite — D origine mésodermique, les somites sont des structures embryonnaires des Myomérozoaires, situées de part et d autre du tube neural et de la chorde et composées d unités répétées le long de l axe antéro postérieur de l embryon. Le mésoderme para… …   Wikipédia en Français

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