Find the word definition

Crossword clues for amnion

The Collaborative International Dictionary
Amnion

Amnion \Am"ni*on\, n. [Gr. ? the membrane round the fetus, dim. of ? lamb.] (Anat.) A thin membrane surrounding the embryos of mammals, birds, and reptiles.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
amnion

1660s, Modern Latin, from Greek amnion "membrane around a fetus," said to be originally "bowl in which the blood of victims was caught" [Liddell & Scott], which is variously said to be of unknown origin, from ame "bucket," or a diminutive of amnos "lamb."

Wiktionary
amnion

n. (context anatomy English) The innermost membrane of the fetal membranes of reptiles, birds, and mammals; the sac in which the embryo is suspended.

WordNet
amnion
  1. n. thin innermost membranous sac enclosing the developing embryo of higher vertebrates (reptiles, birds and mammals) [syn: amniotic sac, amnios]

  2. [also: amnia (pl)]

Wikipedia
Amnion
For the alien race in Stephen R. Donaldson's The Gap Cycle, see Amnion (Gap Cycle).

The amnion is a membrane that closely covers the embryo when first formed. It fills with the amniotic fluid which causes the amnion to expand and become the amniotic sac which serves to provide a protective environment for the developing embryo. It is a feature of the amniotes which includes reptiles, birds, and mammals. Amphibians and fish are excluded from this group. The amnion stems from the extraembryonic somatic mesoderm on the outer side and the extraembryonic ectoderm on the inner side.

Amnion (Gap Cycle)

The Amnion (singular, Amnioni) are a fictional alien species in Stephen R. Donaldson's The Gap Cycle. They are shown to be the only alien race humanity has made contact with and play a major role in the series from Forbidden Knowledge onwards.

Amnion are fundamentally different from any Earth creature - particularly humankind - in their mental and emotional structure. Physically they are humanoid: the Amnioni with whom first contact is made is described in Forbidden Knowledge as "a humanoid sea-anemone with too many arms." Amnion are however severely different from each other in physical appearance, with differing numbers of limbs, eyes, and other organs, as well as varying vastly in size and shape. This physical individuality contrasts with their mental identicality - their mentality can be likened to that of an insect hive. They are analogous to the Borg in the Star Trek universe, both in their collective intelligence (or "mind union") and in their aim to conquer through assimilation (turning humans into members of their own species).

Despite their fundamental opposition and Cold War-type conflict with humanity, they are not portrayed as the main antagonists in The Gap Cycle. Rather they serve as a driving force for the conflict between the human characters.

Usage examples of "amnion".

The death of the foetus may be occasioned by a diseased condition of the embryo, amnion, or placenta, and also by convulsions or peritoneal inflammation.

He destroyed the Egyptian gods, and, to complete all, he decided to plunder Jupiter Amnion, a famous sanctuary situated near the Oasis of Siwah.

The Amnion wanted Vector to help them counter Intertech's antimutagen.

One is that Milos Taverner told the Amnion Nick Succorso has an effective antimutagen.

Nick Succorso had turned his mother over to the Amnion for reasons which had nothing to do with antimutagens.

Shaheed," Beckmann insisted, "my re search has the potential to secure humankind's future against any conceivable threat the Amnion can or may present.

The Amnion warships - Tranquil Hegemony and now Calm Horizons, looming out of deep space - had certainly been in communication with Than atos Minor, transmitting their requirements.

Was it possible, she wondered, that the origins of creatures like Vestabule and Taverner could affect Amnion deci sion-making processes.

We're all hanging by our fingernails because you took us to Enablement, you cheated the Amnion, you traded Davies away.

Captain's Fancy is in — and she came from deeper in Amnion space, from Enablement Station.

Morn Hyland was taken to Enablement with the connivance of the Amnion so that she could be transformed into some manner of genetic kaze aimed at us.

He still wore the eyeshades she'd given him to conceal his Amnion fea tures.

Stiffly, Min discussed the disposition of Earth's forces and the defense of human space in case the Amnion attempted a preemptive strike of their own.

They believe he repre sents the knowledge necessary to mutate Amnion indistinguish able from humans.

Highly conserved endogenous retroviruses expressed by the trophectoderm of the developing embryo—the portion that would develop into the surrounding amnion and placenta—protected against attacks by the mother's immune system.