zona pellucida

noun

noun

Etymology Latin zōna (“zone”) + pellūcida (“transparent”).

Anatomy, Medicine, Sciences A glycoprotein membrane surrounding the plasma membrane of an oocyte.

The sperm passes through an outer barrier called the zona pellucida and, all being well, fuses with the egg.2019, Bill Bryson, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Black Swan (2020), page 339:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.