cytoblastemicadj.

1842 Microsc. Jrnl. & Struct. Rec. 2 293 They are surrounded by a sort of mucus, probably cytoblastemic.

1880–1 W. Saville-Kent Man. Infusoria I. 176 The whole cytoblastemic element in this species is remarkably tenacious or glutinous, and is drawn out in long strings, like bird-lime, when the sponge is broken apart.

1963 Bull. Hist. Med. 37 323 Schwann attributed to the cells an active ‘metabolic force’ able to select appropriate materials from the passive ‘cytoblastemic’ fluid.

1990 J. Maienschein in R. C. Olby et al. Compan. Hist. Mod. Sci. xxiii. 361 The claims of Schleiden and Schwann became the basis for a ‘cell theory’, which held cells to be the fundamental organic units common to all living beings and as developed by ‘free formation’ out of formless cytoblastemic substance in the same basic way.