branchial arch
- Zoology. one of a series of bony or cartilaginous arches on each side of the pharynx that support the gills of fishes and aquatic amphibians; gill bar.
- Embryology. one of a series of archlike mesodermal thickenings of the body wall in the pharyngeal region of the embryo of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
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Origin of branchial arch
First recorded in 1870–75
Also called gill arch, visceral arch.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
branchial arch
- Any of usually six embryonic arches that give rise to specialized structures in the head and neck in the higher vertebrates.gill arch pharyngeal arch visceral arch
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.