Get the FREE one-click dictionary software for Windows
or the iPhone/iPad and Android apps
Noun: gemmule  jem-yool
  1. The physically discrete element that Darwin proposed as responsible for heredity
    "Darwin's concept of gemmules was later superseded by the discovery of genes"
     
  2. A microscopic reproductive structure produced by some sponges, capable of developing into a new individual
    "Gemmules allow sponges to survive harsh conditions"

Derived forms: gemmules

Type of: hypothesis, possibility, theory

Encyclopedia: Gemmule