ovule
/ˈɒvjuːl/ · o·vule
noun
- The structure in a plant that develops into a seed after fertilization; the megasporangium of a seed plant with its enclosing integuments. The ovule of the pea plant is nestled within the ovary and will become the seed once pollinated.
- An immature ovum in mammals. During oogenesis, each ovule is surrounded by follicular cells until it matures for possible fertilization.
Did you know? The term ovule was first introduced by 17th‑century botanist Nehemiah Grew, who used it to describe the tiny egg‑like structures he observed in flowering plants.