polar body
noun Cell Biology.
one of the minute cells arising from the unequal meiotic divisions of the ovum at or near the time of fertilization.
Origin of polar body
First recorded in 1885–90
Words nearby polar body
polanski,
polar,
polar angle,
polar axis,
polar bear,
polar body,
polar bond,
polar cap,
polar cataract,
polar circle,
polar coordinate
British Dictionary definitions for polar body
polar body
noun
physiol
a tiny cell containing little cytoplasm that is produced with the ovum during oogenesis when the oocyte undergoes meiosis
Medical definitions for polar body
polar body
n.
Either of two small cells formed by the ovum during its maturation, the first usually released just before ovulation and the second not until after the ovum has been discharged from the ovary and penetrated by a sperm cell.
Scientific definitions for polar body
polar body
One of the small cells that are produced during the development of an oocyte and ultimately degenerate. A polar body contains one of the nuclei derived from the first or second meiotic division but little or no cytoplasm. See Note at oogenesis.