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Glite Dictionary
polar body

polar body

9.9
A very small cell with little liquid that forms when an egg divides and that the body usually discards
  • noun
  • /ˈpoʊlər ˈbɑdi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cuerpo polar
  • Each human egg contains a polar body as a by-product of meiosis.
  • three polar bodies

Examples

  • During oogenesis, a polar body is formed and typically degenerates without further development.

  • Scientists studied the chromosome count in the polar body to evaluate egg quality.

  • The polar body is a byproduct of meiosis.

  • During meiosis, one polar body is formed.

  • The second polar body is formed during the final stages of meiosis in oocyte development.

  • In human reproduction, one egg and two polar bodies are produced from the original oocyte.

  • After fertilization, the polar bodies are typically discarded and do not contribute to the embryo.

Surface Forms

polar body singular
polar bodies plural

Morphology

polar + body

Although 'body' is a general noun, the compound 'polar body' is a specialized biological term whose meaning (a small byproduct cell produced and discarded during meiosis) cannot be derived from 'polar' (commonly 'relating to poles') plus 'body'. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not predict the technical, language-specific sense without prior exposure, so the expression is not transparent.

Etymology

Polar body comes from what happens when an egg cell divides: a very small body forms at the polar end, or edge, of the egg and is later 'discarded'. So, the name means the tiny cell made with the egg that is not used.