Invertebrates

Vocabulary flashcards from the lecture notes on invertebrates, covering key terms and concepts.

Invertebrates

Animals that lack a backbone and account for 95% of known animal species.

Porifera

The phylum of aquatic animals known as sponges, lacking true tissues.

Cnidaria

An ancient phylum of eumetazoans characterized by true tissues and specialized stinging cells called cnidocytes.

Lophotrochozoa

A clade of bilaterian animals that includes flatworms, molluscs, and annelids, some of which develop a lophophore or pass through a trochophore larval stage.

Ecdysozoa

A clade of bilaterian animals characterized by molting, including arthropods and nematodes.

Deuterostomia

A clade of bilaterians that includes echinoderms and chordates, distinguished by their developmental processes.

Bilateral Symmetry

A body plan in which the left and right sides are mirror images of each other.

Choanocytes

Flagellated collar cells in sponges that generate a water current and ingest food.

Cnidocytes

Specialized cells in Cnidarians that contain nematocysts for defense and prey capture.

Trochophore

A larval stage common to some groups of aquatic animals, characterized by a band of cilia.

Lophophore

A feeding structure in some lophotrochozoans, featuring a crown of tentacles with cilia.

Gastropods

A class of molluscs that includes snails and slugs, often characterized by torsion and a spiraled shell.

Bivalves

A class of molluscs that include clams, oysters, and mussels, characterized by a shell divided into two halves.

Cephalopods

A class of molluscs that includes squids and octopuses, known for their advanced nervous systems and intelligence.

Mesohyl

A noncellular layer found in sponges, located between two layers of cells.

Osculum

An opening in sponges through which water exits after passing through the spongocoel.