Biol. [ad. Gr. ζυγωτός yoked, f. ζυγόν to yoke.] A body of living protoplasm, as a cell or cell-nucleus, formed by the conjugation or fusion of two such bodies in reproduction; a zygospore, or any germ-cell resulting from the union of two reproductive cells or gametes. Also attrib. or as adj. That is a zygote, formed by conjugation; of or pertaining to a zygote.
1891. Hartog, in Nature, 17 Sept., 484. Paragamy or Endokaryogamy: vegetative or gametal nuclei lying in a continuous mass of cytoplasm fuse to form a zygote nucleus.
1895. Oliver, trans. Kerner’s Nat. Hist. Plants, II. 628. The cell produced by the fusion of the bodies of two gametes is called the zygote.
Hence Zygotic a., pertaining to or of the nature of a zygote, produced or characterized by zygosis; Zygotoblast [-BLAST], one of a number of germ-cells or sporozoites produced by budding from a zygotomere (see below); Zygotoid [-OID], a multinucleate form of zygote in certain fungi (see quot.); Zygotomere [Gr. μερος part], one of a number of cells formed by segmentation of a zygote in the malaria parasite or other Sporozoa.
1891. Hartog, in Nature, 17 Sept., 484. In apocytial fungi multinucleated masses of protoplasm (gametoids) may conjugate to form a zygotoid.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 945. Nucleus and protoplasm divide into a number of zygotomeres, which become blastophores, each bearing on its surface … a large number of filamentous zygotoblasts.
