notochord
a rodlike cord of cells that forms the chief axial supporting structure of the body of the lower chordates, as amphioxus and the cyclostomes, and of the embryos of the vertebrates.
Origin of notochord
1Other words from notochord
- no·to·chord·al, adjective
- sub·no·to·chord·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use notochord in a sentence
The anterior wall of this passage connects together the medullary plate and the notochordal ridge of the hypoblast.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1 | Francis Maitland BalfourColumn notochordal, showing no traces of centra; well-marked neural and hæmal elements.
A Guide to the Study of Fishes, Volume 1 (of 2) | David Starr JordanThe sphenoid condyles, seen in posterior view, issue from the dorsal margin of the notochordal socket.
The first stage of complication is by the development of cartilage in the notochordal sheath, as in Petromyzon.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. ReynoldsIts cells become highly vacuolated and take on the typical notochordal structure.
The Vertebrate Skeleton | Sidney H. Reynolds
British Dictionary definitions for notochord
/ (ˈnəʊtəˌkɔːd) /
a fibrous longitudinal rod in all embryo and some adult chordate animals, immediately above the gut, that supports the body. It is replaced in adult vertebrates by the vertebral column
Derived forms of notochord
- notochordal, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for notochord
[ nō′tə-kôrd′ ]
A flexible rodlike structure that forms the main support of the body in all chordates during some stage of their development. In vertebrates, the notochord develops into a true backbone in the embryonic phase. Primitive chordates, such as lancelets and tunicates, retain a notochord throughout their lives.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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