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Glite Dictionary
somitic

somitic

9.9
Relating to a small part of the body that forms in an early embryo
  • adjective
  • /səˈmɪtɪk/
  • Specialized
: somítico
  • Researchers discovered that somitic cells contribute to muscle and bone development in vertebrates.

Examples

  • During embryogenesis, somitic tissues differentiate to form various segments of the organism.

  • Each arch is formed by mesenchyme from both somitic mesoderm and neural crest mesoderm.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The somitic structure of the embryo plays a crucial role in organizing the body plan.

Surface Forms

somitic positive

Morphology

somitic = somite (transparent) = somite + ic

The adjective is a regular derivation from the noun 'somite' using the productive suffix '-ic' meaning 'relating to', so the relation is clear to learners who know 'somite'.

Etymology

Somitic comes from the root soma, which means 'body', and from somite, the small body segment that forms in an embryo. So, somitic means 'relating to' those body segments, which later make muscles and the bones of the spine.