blastocoel; segmentation cavity
A fluid-filled cavity that forms within the blastula during early embryonic development. Technical term used in embryology and developmental biology.
The blastocoel forms during the blastula stage.
From 割 (division, splitting) + 腔 (cavity), referring to the cavity formed by cell division during early development. The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the biological meaning.