Xenopus
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Definition
Noun: 1. A genus of aquatic frogs: Xenopus is the genus name for a group of fully aquatic frogs native to sub-Saharan Africa, commonly known as African clawed frogs. 2. A model organism in biological research: Specifically, Xenopus laevis (the African clawed frog) is a widely used organism in developmental biology, cell biology, and genetics laboratories.
Usage Examples
- Noun (referring to the genus):
- The biologist studied several species within the genus Xenopus.
- Xenopus frogs lack tongues and movable eyelids.
- Noun (referring to the common laboratory organism):
- Early pregnancy tests used live Xenopus frogs.
- The embryo of Xenopus is a classic model for studying vertebrate development.
Advanced Usage
- "Xenopus laevis": The most common and well-studied species, often referred to simply as "Xenopus" in a research context.
- Most of our knowledge of vertebrate embryology comes from studies on Xenopus laevis.
- "Xenopus tropicalis": A related species with a smaller genome and shorter generation time, increasingly used for genetic studies.
- Researchers are using Xenopus tropicalis for advanced genetic mapping.
Variants and Related Words
- Xenopodidae (n): A former family name classification for these frogs.
- Xenopus oocyte (n): The egg cell of a frog, frequently used in molecular biology for protein expression and electrophysiology studies.
- The scientist injected mRNA into the Xenopus oocyte to study ion channel function.
Synonyms
- African clawed frog: The common name for .
- Platanna: A common name used in South Africa for these frogs.
Notes on Meaning
The word Xenopus is primarily used as a scientific name (a proper noun) in taxonomy and biological research. In general contexts, it is almost always used to refer to the African clawed frog, especially its role in science. It does not have idiomatic or phrasal verb uses.
Noun
- an African clawed frog; in some classifications made the type genus of a separate family Xenopodidae