11. The name syncytin derives from its involvement in the formation of syncytium , the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast protoplasm. 12. Cardiac muscle fibers are interconnected by intercalated discs, giving that tissue the appearance of a syncytium . 13. Through the diversion of nutrients to the syncytium , CCN can stunt corn plant growth and reduce yield. 14. Finally, after the 13th division, cell membranes slowly invaginate, dividing the syncytium into individual somatic cells. 15. However the syncytium acts as a giant cell so there are no gaps for immune cells to migrate through. 16. It is uncertain whether the calcium ions stored in the syncytium are related to the lime skeletons of many cnidarians. 17. In both the adults and the stages that live in snails, the external syncytium absorbs dissolved nutrients from the host. 18. The interior space pervaded by a fiber syncytium in the Placozoa would then correspond to connective tissue in the other animals. 19. As there are no cell boundaries in the syncytium , these morphogens can influence nuclei in a concentration-dependent manner. 20. Unlike the gap and the pair-rule genes, the segment polarity genes function within cells rather than within the syncytium .
