How Do You Spell BLASTOID?

Pronunciation: [blˈastɔ͡ɪd] (IPA)

The word "blastoid" is spelled with a combination of consonants and vowels that can be tricky to pronounce accurately. In IPA phonetic transcription, it is represented as /ˈblæstɔɪd/. This means that the initial syllable is stressed, and the consonant cluster "bl" is pronounced as a single unit. The final "oid" ending indicates a classification or resemblance to a type of organism, as "blastoid" refers to a type of extinct echinoderm with a round shape resembling a "blastula."

BLASTOID Meaning and Definition

1. Blastoid is a term used in zoology and paleontology to describe a type of extinct marine invertebrate belonging to the class Blastoidea. Blastoidea is a group of echinoderms that lived during the Paleozoic era, from the Ordovician to the Mississippian period.

   Blastoids resembled a flower or a small vase, with a spherical body known as a theca and an elongated stem-like structure called a column to which they were attached. The theca had a number of plates, or ossicles, arranged in a specific pattern, which served as a protective outer skeleton. The column consisted of stacked discs, also made of ossicles, that provided support and allowed the organism to stand upright.

   These ancient creatures were filter feeders, meaning they used small cilia on their tentacle-like appendages to capture plankton and other microscopic organisms from seawater for nourishment. They lived primarily in shallow marine environments, although some species could be found in deeper waters. Blastoids had a wide distribution across various continents and existed in a range of shapes, sizes, and patterns on their plates.

   Blastoids became extinct by the end of the Mississippian period, around 323 million years ago. Fossils of blastoids are valuable to scientists, as they provide important information about the past marine ecosystems, as well as contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary history of echinoderms.

Common Misspellings for BLASTOID

• vlastoid
• nlastoid
• hlastoid
• glastoid
• bkastoid
• bpastoid
• boastoid
• blzstoid
• blsstoid
• blwstoid
• blqstoid
• blaatoid
• blaztoid
• blaxtoid
• bladtoid
• blaetoid
• blawtoid
• blasroid
• blasfoid

Etymology of BLASTOID

The word "blastoid" is derived from the Greek roots "blastos", meaning "bud" or "sprout", and "eidos", meaning "form" or "shape". The term is used in various scientific contexts, particularly in the field of paleontology, to refer to a group of extinct marine organisms that resembled flower buds or sprouts. These creatures, known as blastoids, were echinoderms closely related to sea lilies and feather stars.