Pronunciation: de-TER-mi-nat Kle-veg

Etymology: Determinate Cleavage is a phrase that come from two different linguistic roots. Determinate is derived from the Latin verb determinare (to determine). Cleavage comes from an Old English word cleofan, which means to split.

Determinate cleavage occurs when cell fate in animals is determined early in the divisions of the zygote to produce a blastula. Very often, animals with spiral cleavage are determinate.