arthropoda - animal form and function

Cuticular exoskeleton

A rigid external skeleton made of chitin and proteins that protects the body and provides attachment points for muscles.

Chitin

A strong polysaccharide that forms the main structural component of the arthropod exoskeleton.

Tagmata

Specialized body regions formed by fused segments, such as head, thorax, and abdomen.

arthropoda

includes centipdes, spiders, crustaceans and insects

chelicerata

includes spiers, ticks, scorpions and horseshoe crabs

Myriapoda

includes millipedes, centipedes

crustacea

hexapods

prosoma (cephalothorax)

tagmata in chelicerates containing 4 pairs of legs, 1 pair of pedipalps and chelicerae

opisthosoma (abdomen)

posterior tagmata in chelicerates containing digestive and reproductive systems

Antennae

Paired sensory appendages used for touch, smell, and environmental detection.

oviger

Specialized appendages in male horseshoe crabs and sea spiders used to carry eggs.

book gills

respiratory structures in horseshoe crabs consisting of stacked plate like tissues for gas exchange in water

book lungs

Respiratory organs in spiders and some arachnids consisting of stacked internal membranes for gas exchange.

trachae

A system of air-filled tubes that deliver oxygen directly to tissues, common in insects and some arachnids.

spiracles

External openings that allow air to enter the tracheal system.

mandible

A jaw-like mouthpart used for biting and chewing, found in many arthropods such as myriapoda, crustceans and hexapods

Malpighian tubules

Excretory organs in many arthropods that remove nitrogenous waste from the surrounding hemolymph

mandibulata

A major arthropod group that possesses mandibles (jaw-like mouthparts), including crustaceans, insects, and myriapods.

epicuticle

The thin outermost layer of the arthropod exoskeleton, waterproof and protective.

Procuticle

The thicker inner layer of the cuticle, containing chitin and proteins and providing strength. exocutile is secreted before moult. endocuticle secreted after moult

apodeme

ingrowths for muscle attachment - used for snapping of biramous claw

biramous

appendage branches at the end e.g. crustaceans

uniramous

appendages do not split at end e.g. hexapods, myriapods, chelicerae

carapace

dorsal protective cuticle which alos covers other segments

chelae

pincer like claws used for grasping food, defence or fighting

maxilliped

modified thoracid appendage to help bring food towards the mouth

maxillae

head derived mouthparts for tasting, holding and manipulating food

swimmerets

small abdominal appendages in crustaceans for swimming and sometimes acrrying eggs

antennal gland

used for excretion instead of malphigian tubules in crustacea

Ommatidia

compound eyes

nauplius larvae

first larval stage of many crustaceans

class malacostraca

soft shelled crustacea e.g. shrimp, crabs, lobster, krill

class arachnida

spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks

scleroprotein

what is produced by the silk glands

class diplopoda

what class are millipedes

class chilopoda

what class are centipedes

epicuticle, exocuticle, endocuticle, epidermis

what are the 4 layers of the exoskeleton shell in crustacea