Protostome Animals

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to protostome animals, providing definitions and concepts important for understanding the diversity and characteristics of this group.

Protostomes

Animals in which the blastopore becomes the mouth during embryonic development.

Lophotrochozoans

A major clade of protostomes characterized by a lophophore and trochophore larval stage, including annelids and mollusks.

Ecdysozoans

A clade of protostomes that grow by molting their external cuticles.

Coelom

A fluid-filled body cavity that is lined with mesoderm.

Lophophore

A circular or U-shaped ring of ciliated tentacles around the mouth used for feeding and gas exchange.

Ecdysis

The process of molting, in which an organism sheds its outer covering.

Arthropods

The most diverse and abundant group of animals characterized by jointed appendages and an exoskeleton.

Segmentation

The division of an organism's body into repetitive segments, allowing for specialization of different body parts.

Trochophore

A free-swimming larval stage in some invertebrates, characterized by a band of cilia.

Metamorphosis

A developmental process where an organism undergoes substantial physical changes, usually between larval and adult stages.

Hermaphroditic

An organism that possesses both male and female reproductive organs.

Ciliated structures

Feeding adaptations in various animals that utilize cilia for locomotion and food collection.

Radula

A specialized feeding structure in mollusks used to scrape food from surfaces.

Annelids

Segmented worms that have bodies divided into ring-like sections and a coelom in each segment.

Myriapods

A group of arthropods, including centipedes and millipedes, characterized by numerous body segments and legs.