Answer: gemmule

AnswerCrossword Clue
GEMMULELittle bud.
gemmuleone of the hypothetical living units conceived by Darwin in the theory of pangenesis as the bearers of the hereditary attributes
gemmulegemma
gemmulea small asexual reproductive structure
gemmuleasexually produced mass of cells that is capable of developing into an animal, as a freshwater sponge