Concept explainers
In chordates, the nerve cord is ________ and runs along the ________ ______ side of the body. During at least one stage of a chordate's life, it has a tail that extends past its _________ and its body is stiffened by a(n) ____________ _________that runs along its length.
To review:
The given blank space in the statement, “in chordates, the nerve cord is ________ and runs along the _______ side of the body. During at least one stage of a chordate’s life, it has a tail that extends past its _________ and its body is stiffened by a(n) ________ that runs along its length.”
Introduction:
The phylum Chordata includes three subphyla, which are vertebrata (Craniata), Cephalochordata (lancelets), and Urochordata (tunicate). All the members of the Chordata show the presence of a notochord, pharyngeal slits, tail, an endostyle, and dorsal-hollow nerve cord at some point of their developmental stage.
Explanation of Solution
A dorsal hollow nerve cord is found in all the chordates, especially in the vertebrates, which is retained throughout their lifetime. It is derived from the ectodermal cells of embryo. All the chordates possess tail beyond their anal region during the embryonic stage of development.
The tail is lost in the humans, which is marked by the coccyx region (tail-bone) of the vertebral column. Like the other members of the chordates, the human embryo contains a tail, which gets absorbed as the development proceeds to the fetal stage.
The notochord is the most district feature of chordates. It is rigid but flexible rod-like structure, which contains large-sized cells whose vacuoles are filled with fluid. A vertebral column replaces the notochord during the later developmental stage in the vertebrates. It gets dissolved during metamorphosis from the larval to the adult stage in the urochordates. The notochord is retailed throughout the lifetime of the cephalochordates.
In chordates, the nerve cord is hollow and runs along the dorsal side of the body. During at least one stage of a chordate’s life, it has a tail that extends past its anus and its body is stiffened by a notochord that runs along its length.
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Chapter 24 Solutions
Biology: Life on Earth
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- Biology Today and Tomorrow without Physiology (Mi...BiologyISBN:9781305117396Author:Cecie Starr, Christine Evers, Lisa StarrPublisher:Cengage Learning