Zygote
The cell formed by the union of a male sex cell (a sperm) and a female sex cell (an ovum). The zygote develops into the embryo following the instruction encoded in its genetic material, the DNA.
The unification of a sperm and an ovum to form a zygote constitutes fertilization.
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- Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT)
A technique in which a woman’s egg is fertilized outside the body, then implanted in one of her fallopian tubes. This technique is one of the methods used to overcome infertility, the inability of couples to produce offspring on their own. First, the egg and the male sperm needed to fertilize it are harvested. Then […]
- Zygotic lethal gene
A gene that is lethal (fatal) for the zygote, the cell formed by the union of a sperm (male sex cell) and an ovum (female sex cell). The zygote would normally develop into an embryo, as instructed by the genetic material within the unified cell. However, a zygotic lethal gene scotches prenatal development at its […]
- Zebra
‘When you hear hoof beats, think of horses, not zebras.’ For example, when someone develops a mild transient cough, a virus infection is the most logical and likely cause, and tuberculosis is a zebra.
- ZAP-70
Zeta-chain-associated protein kinase 70. A member of the protein tyrosine kinase family, ZAP-70 is normally expressed in T cells and natural killer cells and has a critical role in the initiation of T-cell signaling. ZAP-70 is expressed in T cells and tumors of T-cell lineage. A high level of ZAP-70 expression appears restricted to T-cell […]
- Z chromosome
A sex chromosome in certain animals, such as chickens, turkeys, and moths. In humans, males are XY and females XX, but in animals with a Z chromosome, males are ZZ and females are WZ.