cytoblastema

Definitions

noun The protoplasm or viscid fluid in which animal and vegetable cells are produced.
noun The blastema or germinal or formative material of a cytode; protoplasmic cell-substance: specifically used of the common gelatinous matrix of protozoans, as sponges.

From Ancient Greek hollow vessel + growth.

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word cytoblastema.

For example, the fluid part of the blood is the cytoblastema, the blood corpuscles being the cells.

The Story of the Living Machine A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living Activity
This idea of the cytoblastema was early thrown into suspicion, and almost at the time of the announcement of the cell doctrine certain microscopists made the claim that these cells did not come from any structureless medium, but by division from other cells like themselves.

The Story of the Living Machine A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living Activity
In such a history each cell comes from pre-existing cells and a cytoblastema plays no part.

The Story of the Living Machine A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living Activity
Schwann had regarded cell growth as a kind of crystallization, beginning with the deposit of a nucleus about a granule in the intercellular substance -- the cytoblastema, as Schleiden called it.

A History of Science: in Five Volumes. Volume IV: Modern Development of the Chemical and Biological Sciences 1904