IPA: //blæstəˈleɪʃən//
KK: /blæstəˈleɪʃən/
The process in early development where a hollow ball of cells, called a blastula, is formed from a mass of cells.
During embryonic development, blastulation is a crucial step that leads to the formation of the blastula.
Blastulation → It is formed from "blasto-" (from Greek "blastos", meaning germ or sprout) and "-ation" (meaning the process of). The word refers to the process of forming a blastula, an early stage in embryonic development where a hollow ball of cells is created.
Think of 'blasto-' meaning a germ or sprout, which helps you remember that 'blastulation' is the process of forming the initial stage of an embryo.