| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 3,910,129,352 visitors served. |
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
lophophore |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia | 0.01 sec. |
|
|
lophophore [′läf·ə‚fȯr]
(invertebrate zoology) A food-gathering organ consisting of a fleshy basal ridge or lobe, from which numerous ciliated tentacles arise; found in Bryozoa, Phoronida, and Brachiopoda. Lophophore The crown of tentacles which surrounds the mouth in the Bryozoa, Phoronida, and Brachiopoda. The numerous ciliated tentacles arise from a circular or horseshoe-shaped fold of the body wall. The tentacles are hollow outgrowths of the body wall, each containing fluid-filled extensions of the body cavity and extended hydraulically. The primary function of the lophophore is to gather food. On the tentacles are ciliary tracts which drive a current of food-particle-bearing water through the lophophore. While the lophophore is primarily a feeding organ, it may also play a role in reproduction, respiration, and larval locomotion. See Brachiopoda, Bryozoa, Phoronida Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| Encyclopedia |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup |
|---|