determinate cleavage
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de·ter·mi·nate cleav·age
cleavage resulting in blastomeres each capable of developing only into a particular embryonic structure.
determinate cleavage
[ditur′minit]
mitotic division of the fertilized ovum into blastomeres that are each destined to form a specific part of the embryo. Damage to or destruction of any of these cells results in malformation of an organism. Also called mosaic cleavage. Compare indeterminate cleavage. See also mosaic development.