aplacental
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking a placenta: Describes mammals that do not develop a placenta during gestation. The young are born at a very early stage of development or are hatched from eggs.
Usage
- The term is used specifically in zoology and biology to classify certain types of mammals.
- It is typically used attributively (before a noun) to describe an animal or group of animals.
Examples
- Adjective:
- Monotremes, like the platypus, are aplacental mammals that lay eggs.
- The aplacental nature of marsupials means their young complete development in an external pouch.
Advanced Usage
- Scientific Classification: The term is used to create a taxonomic distinction from placental mammals (eutherians).
- The study compared the reproductive systems of aplacental and placental species.
Variants and Related Words
- Placental (adj): Having or developing a placenta. This is the direct antonym.
- Humans are placental mammals.
- Eutherian (n/adj): Synonym for placental mammal.
- Metatherian (n/adj): Synonym for marsupial mammal, which is aplacental.
- Prototherian (n/adj): Synonym for monotreme mammal, which is aplacental.
Synonyms
- Non-placental: A more general, descriptive synonym.
Antonyms
- Placental: Having a placenta.
Adjective
- having no placenta
- monotremes and marsupials are aplacental mammals