Definition

1. Noun:
   • The fluid-filled cavity inside a blastula: In embryology, the 'segmentation cavity' is the central, hollow space filled with fluid that forms within a blastula during the early stages of embryonic development.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The formation of the segmentation cavity is a key milestone in early embryogenesis.
  • Biologists observed the expansion of the segmentation cavity under the microscope.

Advanced Usage

• Developmental Biology Context: The term is primarily used in technical descriptions of embryonic development. It is synonymous with the term blastocoel.
  • The blastocoel, or segmentation cavity, provides space for cell migration during gastrulation.

Variants and Related Words

• Blastocoel (n): A direct synonym for 'segmentation cavity'.
  • The blastocoel forms as the embryo undergoes cleavage.
• Blastula (n): The early embryonic stage in which the segmentation cavity is present.
  • The blastula is characterized by a single layer of cells surrounding the segmentation cavity.

Synonyms

• Blastocoel: The fluid-filled cavity of a blastula.

Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Cleavage (n): The series of cell divisions that leads to the formation of the blastula and its segmentation cavity.
• Gastrulation (n): The subsequent developmental stage where the blastula, with its segmentation cavity, reorganizes into a gastrula.

Noun

1. the fluid-filled cavity inside a blastula