BIOL 1604 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Altricial, Cervical Vertebrae, Reptile
Document Summary
Notochord: semirigid body of fluid filled cells enclosed by a fibrous sheath, in most, extends the length of the body and is ventral to central nervous system. Dorsal hollow nerve cord: single, dorsal to the digestive tract and notochord, the anterior end forms the brain in vertebrates, responsible at least in part for chordate success. Endostyle for filter feeding or thyroid gland: only recently recognized as chordate characteristic, endostyle: secretes mucus, thyroid gland: endocrine (hormones) Postanal tail: probably evolved for propulsion in water, vestige in humans coccyx. Tunic or test surrounds the animal and contains cellulose. Free living larva bears all the chordate hallmarks. Adults: have only pharyngeal slits and endostyle. Circulatory system: ventral heart and two vessels. In general, gametes carried out through the excurrent siphon and released into the water: metamorphosis: the notochord and the tail disappear. Suspension feeders: water leaves the body by an atriopore, pharyngeal slits with mucus, intracellular digestion in the hepatic cecum.