LEPTOCARDIA Meaning and
Definition
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Leptocardia is a noun that refers to a group of marine animals commonly known as lancelets or amphioxus. It is derived from the Greek words "lepto" meaning slender or thin, and "kardia" meaning heart, due to the elongated heart-like shape of their bodies.
Leptocardia includes around 30 known species, which are classified under the phylum Chordata. Lancelets are small, fish-like creatures typically found in sandy or muddy coastal waters, where they burrow half of their bodies into the sediment, leaving the other half exposed.
The defining characteristic of leptocardians is their chordate anatomy, which includes the presence of a hollow, flexible dorsal nerve cord running along their entire length and a notochord providing structural support. They lack a true cranium, vertebral column, and specialized respiratory and circulatory systems.
Leptocardians are filter feeders, using ciliary action to draw water into their mouth and across the gill slits, where microscopic organisms and organic particles are trapped and ingested. They are transparent and possess a segmented musculature, allowing them to swim in a sinuous motion or burrow into the sediment.
Leptocardia has played a significant role in evolutionary studies, as lancelets are believed to represent the most basic living form of the chordate phylum. They provide insight into the early evolutionary development of vertebrates and have been extensively studied to understand the origin and evolution of key anatomical features, such as the nervous system, notochord, and gill slits.
Common Misspellings for LEPTOCARDIA
- keptocardia
- peptocardia
- oeptocardia
- lwptocardia
- lsptocardia
- ldptocardia
- lrptocardia
- l4ptocardia
- l3ptocardia
- leotocardia
- leltocardia
- le-tocardia
- le0tocardia
- leprocardia
- lepfocardia
- lepgocardia
- lepyocardia
- lep6ocardia
- lep5ocardia
Etymology of LEPTOCARDIA
The word "Leptocardia" is derived from the Greek words "leptos", meaning "thin" or "small", and "kardia", meaning "heart" or "cardiac". It refers to a group of marine animals that have a small, fish-like body with a thin, translucent heart.
