Back to search
germline
Cells that give rise to eggs in women and sperm in men. Gametes contain the genetic information that is passed from one generation to the next.
Grammatical category Noun
Field Genetics
Level of specialization High
Definition source Instituto Nacional del Cáncer
Variants
Hypernym
cell lineage
Formal
Synonym
germ line
Formal
germ-line
Formal
Antonym
somatic
Formal
Equivalents

Spanish

línea germinal
Examples
The fact that many species [...] possess somatic stem cells capable of self-renewal and tissue regeneration calls into question why these organisms and their somatic stem cells do age whereas the germline apparently does not. 
The disposable soma theory, which focuses mainly on allocation of metabolic resources, may be valid in hermaphroditic species such as C. elegans, where the germline makes up a large fraction of the organism.
Collocations
WITH ADJECTIVES
male | female germline

WITH NOUNS
germline cysts || maturation arrest || selection
WITH VERBS
germline renders | makes | appears | suggests | does