primordium

/praɪˈmɔrdiəm/
noun
  1. The earliest stage of development of an organ or part in an embryo or plant.
    • In the embryo, the heart primordium begins to form just a few weeks after conception.
    • The leaf primordium appears as a small bump on the growing tip of the plant.
    • Biologists observed the primordium of the wing in the developing chick.
Synonyms
What does "primordium" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean