Overview of Animals and Invertebrates

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms and concepts related to the overview of animals and invertebrates as studied in the lecture.

Heterotrophic

Organisms that obtain their food from other sources, as all animals do.

Collagen

A protein found in the extracellular matrix that is unique to animals.

Hox genes

Genes that regulate embryonic development and are unique to animals, except sponges.

Cambrian Explosion

A period in the Cambrian Period marked by a rapid diversification of aquatic animals.

Protostomia

A clade characterized by the development of the mouth first during embryonic development.

Deuterostomia

A clade characterized by the development of the anus first during embryonic development.

Gastrulation

A phase in embryonic development that leads to the formation of layers and the establishment of body plans.

Diploblastic

Organisms that develop two germ layers: the endoderm and ectoderm, such as cnidarians.

Triploblastic

Organisms that develop three germ layers: endoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm, seen in most animals except sponges and cnidarians.

Coelomate

Animals that possess a true coelom, a body cavity fully lined with mesoderm.

Segmented body

A structure consisting of repeated units or segments, typical of some animal phyla.

Lophophore

A circle of ciliated tentacles for feeding found in some larval forms of certain aquatic animals.

Anhydrobiosis

The ability of an organism to survive in a dehydrated state.

Dioecious

Having male and female reproductive organs in separate individuals.

Blastula

An early stage of embryonic development characterized by a hollow ball of cells.

Gastrula

The stage of embryonic development following the blastula, with a cup-shaped structure and three cell layers.

Cnidocytes

Specialized stinging cells found in members of the phylum Cnidaria.

Nematocysts

Stinging organelles contained within cnidocytes.