Vestigial
Vestigial
Vestigial (pronunciation: /vɛˈstɪdʒiəl/) is a term used in biology to describe organs or structures in an organism that have lost most or all of their original function through evolution. The term is derived from the Latin word vestigium, meaning a footprint or trace.
Etymology
The term vestigial is derived from the Latin vestigium, which means a footprint, trace, or remnant. This term was first used in the biological context in the 19th century to describe organs or structures that have lost their original function through the process of evolution.
Related Terms
- Evolution: The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
- Organ (biology): A group of tissues with similar functions. Plant life and animal life rely on many organs that coexist in organ systems.
- Structure (biology): Structures in biology may refer to physical structures that are found within organisms, such as organs or tissues.
- Function (biology): In biology, function has been defined in many ways. In physiology, it is simply what an organ, tissue, cell or molecule does. In evolutionary biology, it is the reason some object or process occurred in a system that evolved through natural selection.
See Also
References
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Vestigial
- Wikipedia's article - Vestigial
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski