micropyle
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mi·cro·pyle
(mī′krə-pīl′)n.
1. Botany A minute opening in the ovule of a seed plant through which the pollen tube usually enters.
2. Zoology A pore in the membrane covering the ovum of some animals through which a spermatozoon can enter.
[micro- + Greek pulē, gate.]
mi′cro·py′lar adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
micropyle
(ˈmaɪkrəʊˌpaɪl)n
1. (Botany) a small opening in the integuments of a plant ovule through which the male gametes pass
2. (Zoology) a small pore in the shell of an insect's eggs through which the sperm passes
[C19: from micro- + Greek pulē gate]
ˌmicroˈpylar adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
mi•cro•pyle
(ˈmaɪ krəˌpaɪl)n.
1. the surface of the membrane through which sperm is transported to the ovum in fertilization.
2. the opening in a seed plant ovule through which the pollen tube reaches the embryo.
[1815–25; micro- + Greek pýlē gate]
mi`cro•py′lar, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | ![]() aperture - a natural opening in something ovule - a small body that contains the female germ cell of a plant; develops into a seed after fertilization |
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