Exoskeleton
Exoskeleton
Exoskeleton (/ˌɛksoʊˈskɛlɪtən/; from Greek έξω, éxō "outer" and σκελετός, skeletós "skeleton") is a type of external support structure that provides both stability and mobility to an organism. It is a key characteristic of several groups of animals, including arthropods, such as insects and crustaceans.
Definition
An exoskeleton is a hard, protective, outer shell that covers the body of certain animals, including insects, crustaceans, and arachnids. Unlike the internal skeleton of humans and other vertebrates, the exoskeleton does not grow with the organism and must be periodically shed in a process called moulting.
Etymology
The term exoskeleton comes from the Greek words "exo", meaning "outside", and "skeleton", meaning "framework". It was first used in the early 19th century to describe the external skeleton of arthropods.
Related Terms
- Endoskeleton: An internal support structure of an animal, composed of mineralized tissue.
- Moulting: The process of shedding the old exoskeleton in arthropods.
- Arthropod: An invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages.
- Crustacean: A large, diverse group of arthropods that includes crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, and barnacles, all of which have an exoskeleton.
- Insect: A class of invertebrates within the arthropod phylum that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body, three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and one pair of antennae.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Exoskeleton
- Wikipedia's article - Exoskeleton
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski