acrosome
[ ak-ruh-sohm ]
/ ˈæk rəˌsoʊm /
noun Cell Biology.
an organelle covering the head of animal sperm and containing enzymes that digest the egg cell coating, thus permitting the sperm to enter the egg.
OTHER WORDS FROM acrosome
ac·ro·so·mal, adjectiveWords nearby acrosome
Example sentences from the Web for acrosome
Spermatids containing both the chromatin nucleolus (n) and the odd chromosome (x), a the acrosome.
Studies in Spermatogenesis |Nettie Maria StevensThe acrosome seems to develop directly out of the cytoplasm.
Studies in Spermatogenesis |Nettie Maria Stevens
British Dictionary definitions for acrosome
acrosome
/ (ˈækrəˌsəʊm) /
noun
a cap-like structure on the tip of a spermatozoon that releases enzymes on encountering the ovum allowing fusion with the ovum in the sexual reproductive process; this part of the process is known as the acrosome reaction
Word Origin for acrosome
C19: from
acro- +
-some ³
Medical definitions for acrosome
acrosome
[ ăk′rə-sōm′ ]
n.
acrosomal cap