Animals: Superphylum Lophotrochozoa

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to the superphylum Lophotrochozoa and associated phyla.

Lophotrochozoa

A superphylum that includes animals with a lophophore and trochophore larvae.

Platyhelminthes

A phylum of flatworms characterized by bilateral symmetry and an acoelomate body plan.

Schizocoelom

Coelom formed by the splitting of the mesodermal mass during development in protostomes.

Enterocoelom

Coelom formed from pouches of mesoderm that pinch off from the embryonic gut in deuterostomes.

Cephalization

The concentration of sense organs and nervous tissue at the anterior (head) end of an organism.

Trochophore larvae

A type of larval stage characteristic of some lophotrochozoans, with two ciliated bands for locomotion.

Gastrovascular cavity

A type of body cavity found in some invertebrates, serving both digestive and circulatory functions.

Monoecious

Organisms that possess both male and female reproductive organs; also known as hermaphroditic.

Trematoda

A class within the phylum Platyhelminthes, also known as flukes, which are obligate parasites.

Cestoda

A class within the phylum Platyhelminthes, commonly known as tapeworms, that are endoparasitic.

Parthenogenesis

A form of asexual reproduction where an organism develops from an unfertilized egg.

Flame cells

Specialized excretory cells in flatworms that help maintain osmotic balance.

Bilaterally symmetric

Having a body plan that is symmetrical along a single plane, resulting in two mirrored halves.

Proglottids

Repetitive segments of a tapeworm's body that contain sex organs and are involved in reproduction.

Lateral nerves

Nerves that run alongside the body of flatworms, responsible for sensory and motor functions.