1. Plural of gastrula; embryos in the stage of development following the blastula, characterized by the formation of germ layers through gastrulation.
Usage: biology; technical; plural form

Examples

• The gastrulae of sea urchins are commonly used in developmental biology research.
• During the gastrulae stage, the three primary germ layers begin to differentiate.
• Scientists observed the gastrulae under the microscope to study cell migration patterns.
• The gastrulae develop from blastulae through a process called gastrulation.