1. Plural of ectoblast; cells or tissues derived from the ectoderm, the outermost germ layer of an embryo.
Usage: biology; embryology; technical

Examples

• During early embryonic development, ectoblasts give rise to the nervous system and skin.
• The ectoblasts differentiate into various cell types including neurons and epidermal cells.
• Researchers studied how ectoblasts migrate and organize during gastrulation.
• Mutations affecting ectoblasts can result in developmental abnormalities of the nervous system.
• The ectoblasts are distinct from the mesoblasts and endoblasts in their developmental origin.