ACEPHALA Meaning and
Definition
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Acephala is a term derived from the Greek words "a," meaning without, and "kephalē," meaning head. In general, the term refers to a group of invertebrate animals characterized by their lack of a distinct head or a well-defined anterior region. The classification of Acephala primarily encompasses a phylum of marine organisms known as mollusks.
Mollusks are soft-bodied animals with a muscular foot, a mantle, and often a protective shell. However, acephalan mollusks, commonly known as bivalves, differ from other mollusks due to their unique anatomical features. They possess a bilaterally symmetrical body and lack a well-differentiated head or specialized sensory organs.
Acephalan mollusks include familiar organisms such as clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops. These bivalves are characterized by a two-part hinged shell that encloses and protects their soft body parts. They are filter feeders, which means they extract food particles from the surrounding water by pumping it through their gills. They usually anchor themselves to the substrate using a muscular foot and can burrow into sediment or attach themselves to rocks or other surfaces.
The term Acephala is predominantly employed in the context of zoology and marine biology, specifically when describing the anatomical characteristics and classification of mollusks lacking a head region.
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Applied to those molluscs that have no distinct head-as the oyster, the scallop, &c.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Common Misspellings for ACEPHALA
- zcephala
- scephala
- wcephala
- qcephala
- axephala
- avephala
- afephala
- adephala
- acwphala
- acsphala
- acdphala
- acrphala
- ac4phala
- ac3phala
- aceohala
- acelhala
- ace-hala
- ace0hala
- acepgala
Etymology of ACEPHALA
The word "Acephala" has its etymology rooted in the Greek language. It is derived from the Greek words "a-" meaning "without" or "lacking", and "cephalos" meaning "head". This combination forms "Acephala", which literally translates to "without a head" or "headless". In the context of biology, "Acephala" refers to a class of mollusks that lack a distinct head structure.
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