Acoelomate

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Acoelomate

Acoelomate (pronunciation: /əˈsiːləˌmeɪt/) is a term used in Biology to describe an organism that lacks a coelom, or body cavity. The term is derived from the Greek words "a-", meaning without, and "koilos", meaning hollow or cavity.

Etymology

The term "Acoelomate" is derived from the Greek prefix "a-" (ἀ-), meaning 'without', and "koilos" (κοῖλος), meaning 'hollow' or 'cavity'. It was first used in the late 19th century to describe certain groups of invertebrates.

Definition

An acoelomate is an organism that does not have a coelom. A coelom is a fluid-filled cavity found within the body of many animals, located between the body wall and the digestive tract. It is lined by an epithelium derived from mesoderm, one of the three primary germ layers in very early embryos. The absence of a coelom is a characteristic feature of flatworms (Phylum Platyhelminthes), one of the most well-known groups of acoelomate organisms.

Related Terms

  • Coelom: A fluid-filled body cavity within animals that is lined by an epithelium derived from mesoderm.
  • Mesoderm: One of the three primary germ layers in the very early embryo. The mesoderm is the middle layer.
  • Platyhelminthes: A phylum of relatively simple bilaterian, unsegmented, soft-bodied invertebrates. They are known as flatworms.
  • Bilaterian: Animals with bilateral symmetry, i.e., they have a front and a back end, as well as an upside and downside.

See Also

External links

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