adjective
- containing little or no yolk; said of an egg or ovum
Usage: biology; technical
Examples
- Mammalian eggs are alecithal, relying on the placenta for nutrient supply rather than stored yolk.
- The alecithal nature of human ova contrasts sharply with the yolk-rich eggs of birds.
- In developmental biology, alecithal eggs undergo holoblastic cleavage.
- Sea urchin embryos develop from alecithal eggs with minimal yolk reserves.