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Glite Dictionary
Xenopus laevis

Xenopus laevis

9.5
A common African water frog with clawed toes used in labs
  • noun
  • /ˈzɛnəpəs ˈleɪvɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Xenopus laevis
  • The African clawed frog, known as Xenopus laevis, is often used in laboratory experiments.

Examples

  • You can identify Xenopus laevis by its distinctive clawed toes and smooth skin.

  • Scientists introduced Xenopus laevis to new habitats after its use in pregnancy testing.

  • The Xenopus laevis is widely used as a model organism in developmental biology.

  • The Xenopus laevis is often used in laboratory settings.

  • Researchers study Xenopus laevis to understand amphibian biology.

  • Researchers frequently use Xenopus laevis in studies related to developmental biology.

  • Scientists have discovered that the Xenopus laevis can regenerate its limbs in a unique way.

Synonyms

African clawed frog
vsXenopus laevis
1 6.7

A water frog from Africa without a tongue that has claws and is often used in labs

is best known for being widely used in scientific research

Surface Forms

Xenopus laevis singular
Xenopus laevises plural

Morphology

Xenopus + laevis

This is a scientific binomial combining a genus name (Xenopus) with a species epithet; if a learner knows 'Xenopus' as a frog genus and understands the second element as the specific epithet, they can infer it denotes a particular species of that genus (a kind of frog). Binomial nomenclature is cross-linguistically standardized and compositional rather than idiomatic, so the referential meaning is transparent to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Xenopus laevis is a scientific name made from old Greek and Latin words: Xenopus means 'strange foot' because of its clawed toes, and laevis means 'smooth' for its skin. That name refers to the African clawed frog scientists use in labs, so when you see Xenopus laevis think of a smooth, clawed lab frog.