Definition of zygote Zygote

/zajˈgowt/ - [zaygowt] - zy•gote

We found 5 definitions of zygote from 5 different sources.

What does zygote mean?

Noun Plural: zygotes
zygote - (genetics) the diploid cell resulting from the union of a haploid spermatozoon and ovum (including the organism that develops from that cell)
		fertilized ovum
		cell (biology) the basic structural and functional unit of all organisms; they may exist as independent units of life (as in monads) or may form colonies or tissues as in higher plants and animals
		being, organism the state or fact of existing; "a point of view gradually coming into being"; "laws in existence for centuries"
		genetic science, genetics the branch of biology that studies heredity and variation in organisms
		heterozygote (genetics) an organism having two different alleles of a particular gene and so giving rise to varying offspring

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zygote
The diploid cell formed by the fusion of two haploid gametes during fertilization in eukaryotic organisms with sexual reproduction.\n(source: FAO)

A zygote is the fertilized cell that will grow into a baby animal. When a female's ovum and a male's sperm cell become one, this cell is called the "zygote". The zygote then multiplies, and grows into an embryo.

Some animals keep the zygote in their bodies until it is a full-grown baby. The time between the forming of the zygote and the baby's birth is called pregnancy. Other animals do not keep the zygote in their bodies, but lay an egg. The zygote grows inside the egg until it is ready and the baby animal "hatches".