protonephridia

(noun)

an invertebrate organ which occurs in pairs and removes metabolic wastes from an animal's body

Related Terms

Examples of protonephridia in the following topics:

  • Flame Cells of Planaria and Nephridia of Worms

    • The cells in the tubules are called flame cells (or protonephridia) because they have a cluster of cilia that looks like a flickering flame when viewed under the microscope .

  • Phylum Nemertea

    • A pair of protonephridia, or primitive kidneys, is present in these animals to facilitate osmoregulation.