somatopleure

n.
A complex sheet of embryonic cells in craniate vertebrates, formed by association of part of the mesoderm with the ectoderm and developing as the internal body wall.

[New Latin somatopleura : SOMATO- + Greek pleura, side.]

somatopleural so·mat'o·pleu'ral (-plʊr'əl) or so·mat'o·pleu'ric (-plʊr'ĭk) adj.

(sō-măt'ə-plʊr', sō'mə-tə-)
n.

A complex sheet of embryonic cells formed by association of part of the mesoderm with the ectoderm and developing as the internal body wall.

so·mat'o·pleu'ral (-plʊr'əl) or so·mat'o·pleu'ric (-plʊr'ĭk) adj.

The part of the embryo which forms the lateral and ventral walls of the fetus. Consists of somatic mesoderm and ectoderm.

IN BRIEF: A complex layer of tissue in the embryo.

Tutor's tip: This word was used in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals.