endoskeleton

(noun)

the internal skeleton of an animal, which in vertebrates is comprised of bone and cartilage

Related Terms

Examples of endoskeleton in the following topics:

  • Types of Skeletal Systems

    • The hydrostatic skeleton, exoskeleton, and endoskeleton support, protect, and provide movement to the bodies of different types of animals.
    • There are three different skeleton designs that provide organisms these functions: hydrostatic skeleton, exoskeleton, and endoskeleton.
    • An endoskeleton consists of hard, mineralized structures located within the soft tissue of organisms.
    • The human skeleton is an endoskeleton that consists of 206 bones in the adult.
    • The skeletons of humans and horses are examples of endoskeletons.

  • Limits on Animal Size and Shape

    • Animal shape and body size are influenced by environmental factors as well as the presence of an exoskeleton or an endoskeleton.
    • The same principles apply to endoskeletons, but they are more efficient because muscles are attached on the outside, making it easier to compensate for increased mass.
    • An animal with an endoskeleton has its size determined by the amount of skeletal system it needs in order to support the other tissues and the amount of muscle it needs for movement.

  • Phylum Echinodermata

    • Adult echinoderms exhibit pentaradial symmetry and have a calcareous endoskeleton made of ossicles, although the early larval stages of all echinoderms have bilateral symmetry .
    • The endoskeleton is developed by epidermal cells and may possess pigment cells that give vivid colors to these animals, as well as cells laden with toxins.
    • As with all echinoderms, sea cucumbers have an endoskeleton just below the skin, calcified structures that are usually reduced to isolated microscopic ossicles joined by connective tissue.

  • Morphology of Sponges

    • The gel-like consistency of mesohyl acts as an endoskeleton, maintaining the tubular morphology of sponges.

  • Classes of Echinoderms

    • Like all echinoderms, sea cucumbers have an endoskeleton just below the skin: calcified structures that are usually reduced to isolated microscopic ossicles joined by connective tissue.