Echinoderms definitions Flashcards
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Terms in this set (11)
Echinoderms
Marine deuterostomes with bilateral symmetry, an endoskeleton of calcareous plates, a water vascular system for movement and respiration, and tube feet for locomotion and feeding.
Starfish
A marine echinoderm with radial symmetry, an endoskeleton of calcareous plates, and a water vascular system used for locomotion and feeding via tube feet.
Sea Urchins
Spiny-skinned echinoderms with a radial symmetry, internal skeleton of fused plates, and a water vascular system used for locomotion and feeding via tube feet.
Sea Cucumbers
Marine echinoderms resembling slugs, with leathery skin and an endoskeleton, using a water vascular system and tube feet for locomotion and feeding.
Sand Dollars
Flat, burrowing echinoderms with a rigid, disc-shaped endoskeleton, covered by tiny spines, and utilizing a water vascular system for movement and feeding.
Deuterostomes
Animals characterized by radial cleavage, formation of the anus from the blastopore, and an enterocoelous coelom, including echinoderms and chordates.
Bilateral
Having body symmetry where the organism can be divided into two equal halves along a single plane, typically resulting in mirror-image left and right sides.
Endoskeleton
An internal support structure made of calcified plates, often fused or connected by tissues, providing shape and protection, and covered by skin, as seen in echinoderms like starfish and sea urchins.
Plates
Calcareous structures forming the internal skeleton of echinoderms, which can fuse or be connected by tissues, resembling a knight's armor.
Water Vascular System
A network of fluid-filled tubes in echinoderms used for internal transport, respiration, and locomotion, enabling movement and feeding through extensions called tube feet.
Tube Feet
Hydraulic extensions of the water vascular system in echinoderms, used for locomotion and feeding by moving fluid to create motion and trap prey.