conceptus

con·cep·tus  (kn-spts)

n.

The product of conception at any point between fertilization and birth. It includes the embryo or the fetus as well as the extraembryonic membranes.

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[Latin, something conceived; see concept.]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

conceptus - an animal organism in the early stages of growth and differentiation that in higher forms merge into fetal stages but in lower forms terminate in commencement of larval life fertilized egg, embryo animal, animate being, beast, creature, fauna, brute - a living organism characterized by voluntary movement blastosphere, blastula - early stage of an embryo produced by cleavage of an ovum; a liquid-filled sphere whose wall is composed of a single layer of cells; during this stage (about eight days after fertilization) implantation in the wall of the uterus occurs gastrula - double-walled stage of the embryo resulting from invagination of the blastula; the outer layer of cells is the ectoderm and the inner layer differentiates into the mesoderm and endoderm morula - a solid mass of blastomeres that forms when the zygote splits; develops into the blastula umbilical, umbilical cord - membranous duct connecting the fetus with the placenta