germplasm
noun
germ·​plasm
| \ ˈjərm-ˌpla-zəm
\
\
variants:
or less commonly germ plasm
Definition of germplasm
1a
: germ cells and their precursors serving as the bearers of heredity
b
: the genetic material of germ cells : genes
There is now a global effort to conserve the genetic material, or germplasm, of important crops.— Omar Sattaur The extraordinary precision and reliability of the replication of the germ plasm during each nuclear division …— Ernst Mayr
2
: plant or animal material (such as seeds, pollen, rootstock, or sperm) that is collected and stored chiefly for future use in breeding, conservation, or research
The first U.S. facility for long-term preservation of crop germplasm, the National Seed Storage Laboratory at Fort Collins, CO, began storing collections of all major crops in 1958.— Nigel J. H. Smith Well-managed collections of germ plasm will give plant breeders a broader genetic base for producing new crops with greater resistance to pests, diseases and drought.— John P. Reganold et al.
Examples of germplasm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For decades, Driscoll’s has been working with the germplasm of the White Carolina, the oldest strawberry cultivar. — Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, "Rosé Berries Have Arrived," 11 Aug. 2019 Semen samples were also taken from the bulls and sent to the germplasm bank in Colorado. — Maureen O'hagan, Scientific American, "From Two Bulls, Nine Million Dairy Cows," 20 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'germplasm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for germplasm
germplasm
noun
germ·​plasm
| \ ˈjərm-ˌpla-zəm
\
\
variants:
also germ plasm
Medical Definition of germplasm
1a
: germ cells and their precursors serving as the bearers of heredity
b
: the genetic material of germ cells : genes
2
: plant or animal material (as seeds, pollen, or sperm) that is collected and stored chiefly for future use in breeding, conservation, or research