| body cavity n. See coelom. |
coe·lom also ce·lom or coe·lome  (sē'ləm)  n. The cavity within the body of all animals higher than the coelenterates and certain primitive worms, formed by the splitting of the embryonic mesoderm into two layers. In mammals it forms the peritoneal, pleural, and pericardial cavities. Also called body cavity. [German Koelom, from Greek koilōma, cavity, from koilos, hollow; see keuə- in Indo-European roots.] coe·lom'ic (sĭ-lŏm'ĭk, -lō'mĭk) adj. |