1. undergoes or causes gastrulation, the process in embryonic development in which a blastula transforms into a gastrula with distinct germ layers
Usage: biology; developmental biology; third-person singular present tense of gastrulate

Examples

• The embryo gastrulates during the second week of human development.
• As the blastula gastrulates, cells begin to differentiate into the three primary germ layers.
• The sea urchin embryo gastrulates through a process called invagination.
• During gastrulation, the tissue gastrulates to form the endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm.
• Researchers observe how the amphibian embryo gastrulates under different environmental conditions.