deuterostome
[ doo-ter-uh-stohm, dyoo- ]
/ ˈdu tər əˌstoʊm, ˈdyu- /
noun
Embryology. a mouth that develops separately from the blastopore.
Taxonomy. any member of the phyla (Chordata, Hemichordata, Echinodermata, Chaetognatha) in which the anus appears first, developing at or near the blastopore, cleavage is radial and indeterminate, and the mesoderm and coelom form from outgrowths of the primitive gut.
QUIZZES
TAKE THIS QUIZ IF A DAZZLING VOCABULARY IS YOUR DESIDERATUM!
Have the Words of the Day from October 19–25, 2020, made an indelible mark on your memory? Take the quiz to find out!
Question 1 of 7
What does “clement” mean?
Compare protostome.
Words nearby deuterostome
Deuteronomic, Deuteronomist, Deuteronomy, deuteropathy, deuteroplasm, deuterostome, deuterotoky, deuto-, deuton, deutoplasm, Deutsch
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Scientific definitions for deuterostome
deuterostome
[ dōō′tə-rō-stōm′ ]
Any of a major group of animals defined by its embryonic development, in which the first opening in the embryo becomes the anus. At this stage in their development, the later specialized function of any given embryonic cell has not yet been determined. Deuterostomes are one of the two groups of animals that have true body cavities (coeloms), and are believed to share a common ancestor. They include the echinoderms, chaetognaths, hemichordates, and chordates. Compare protostome.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.