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Glite Dictionary
mesoglea

mesoglea

1 9.9
A jelly-like layer between the outer and inner body layers of simple sea animals like jellyfish
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛzəˈɡliːə/
  • Specialized
: mesoglea

Examples

  • Their mesoglea material is a flexible skeleton, unique... until encountering something higher, almost spiritual... like the Megalon.

    Megalopolis (2024)

  • The mesoglea is a jelly-like layer that provides support and structure in jellyfish.

  • During digestion, nutrients pass through the mesoglea to be absorbed by the cells.

  • In corals, the mesoglea acts as a cushion between the outer tissue and the inner cells.

Surface Forms

mesoglea singular
mesogleas plural

Morphology

mesoglea = meso (opaque) = meso + glea

Although the combining form 'meso-' means 'middle' in scientific contexts, the second element '-glea' is not a standalone English word, so learners cannot reliably infer the meaning from common words.

Etymology

Mesoglea comes from Greek parts meso- meaning 'middle' and -glea meaning 'glue', so it was thought of as the 'middle glue' between layers. That's why mesoglea is the jelly-like layer that sits between the outer and inner cell layers and helps hold animals like jellyfish together.