branchial-arch

noun

Zoology. one of a series of bony or cartilaginous arches on each side of the pharynx that support the gills of fishes and aquatic amphibians; gill bar.

Embryology. one of a series of archlike mesodermal thickenings of the body wall in the pharyngeal region of the embryo of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Also called gill arch, visceral arch.

Origin:
1870–75

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

branchial arch n.
Any of usually six embryonic arches that give rise to specialized structures in the head and neck in the higher vertebrates. Also called gill arch, pharyngeal arch, visceral arch.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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