Vocabulary
- Polymorphic: organism that alternate body forms.
- Diploblastic: organisms with two tissue layers, the ectoderm and endoderm.
- Mesoglea: gel-like matrix between epidermis and gastrodermis.
- Nerve Net: simplest pattern of invertebrate nervous system. Network of nerve fibers.
- Cnidocytes: specialized cells that release cnidae.
- Epidermis: outer layer of tissue in cnidarians.
- Gastrodermis: inner layer of tissue in cnidarians.
- Mesoglea: layer of tissue between epidermis and gastrodermis.
- Cnidocytes: can be in the epidermis or gastrodermis and they produce structures called cnidae.
- Cnidae: structures used for attachment, defense, and feeding.
- Cnida: fluid filled, intracellular capsule enclosing a coiled, hallowed tube.
- Cnidocil: a modified cilium, opens operculum cap when stimulated.
- Nematocysts: are a type of cnida, they gather food and help in defense.
- Polyp: cnidarian body form where the organism is sessile and asexual.
- Medusa: cnidarian body form where the organism is motile and dioecious.
- Blastula: hallow sphere of cells created during the development of a polyp.
- Planula: free swimming larva.
- Gastrovascular Cavity: lined by gastrodermis. Serves in digestion and circulation. Also, it is able to act as a hydro-static skeleton.
- Nutritive-muscular cells: are able to phagocytize partially digested food, which is then given to vacuoles, completing digestion.
- Hydro-static Skeleton: is where water or body fluids are confined in a cavity of the body and against which contractile elements of the body wall act.
- Epitheliomuscular Cells: are cells that are contractile and help in movement.
- Gastrozooids: have tentacles, feed on small organisms, and secrete skeleton protein and chitin (perisac).
- Gonozooids: are reproductive polyps, they reproduce asexually through budding.
- Manubrium: tube-like structure that hangs from the medusa's oral surface.
- Nerve Ring: concentration of nerve cells, is able to coordinate movements when swimming.
- Rhopalium: have sensory structures surrounded by rhopalial lappets.
- Ocelli: statocyst and photoreceptor associated with the rhopalia.
- Scyphistoma: specialized planula in certain cnidarians.
- Ephyrae: small medusae produced by a scyphistoma.
- Pedal laceration: asexual reproduction in an anemone where a piece of the pedal disk breaks free and becomes a new individual.