Somite

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ˈsoÊŠmaɪt/

Origin

soma + -ite

Full definition of somite

Noun

1. (embryology) One of the paired masses of mesoderm distributed along the sides of the neural tube that will eventually become dermis, skeletal muscle, or vertebrae.
2. (anatomy) A metamere, one of a series of segments, arranged longitudinally, of which some animals are composed.

Derived terms

• somitic
• somitogenesis
• somitomere