Phylum Chordata

50 important questions on Phylum Chordata

What four structures do chordates have sometime during their life?

Dorsal, Hollow Nerve chord, notochord, pharyngeal slits, and postanal tail

What is the dorsal, hollow nerve chord?

It develops from ectoderm cells to form the central nervous system

When does the notochord disspear in complex vertebrates?

In the embryonic stage
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What are Pharyngeal Slits?

The openings of digestive tube (pharynx) to outside of the organism. These are found in all chordate embryos. These dissipear in those where the slits do not become gills

What is the Postanal Tail?

Most chordates have this one, humans are unique to not having one

What are the members of Subphylum Cephalochordata called?

Lancelets

What group has chevron-like muscles

Lancelets, they contract in an s-pattern and look like <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

What is the probable ancestor of vertebrates?

Turnicates or subphylum Urochordata

What is characteristic of those in Subphylum Vertebrate?

They have backbones

What are the characteristics of those in Vertebrate?

1) Highly cephalized
2) Have the neural crest during development
3)Their coelom is subdivided into a variety of cavities
4) For reproduction, most have seperate males and females

What are vertrae serially arranged in?

The vertebral column, they enclose the nerve cord

What do circulatory systems in vertebrates share?

1. They're closed and have a ventral heart with 2 OR MORE CHAMBERS
2. Blood flows from the heart to arteries to capillaries to veins to heart again
3. Capillaries deliver O2-rich blood from the arteries to all the body's cells

What do vertebrate excretory system consist of?

Kidneys, to remove metabolic wastes

What are cartilage and bone made of?

Fibrous protein collagen

What does bone have that cartilage does nit?

Added calcium phosphate

What group used to dominate the world's oceans?

Ostracoderms

What are the members of Myxini called?

Hagfish

What do Myxini have in terms of body parts?

Jawless, and they have a cranium. No backbone

Petromyzontida's body structure

jawless and cranium is attached to a cartilage rod that surrounds the nerve cord. They attach to other fish, rasp a hole in the side and feed on fluids and tissue of the host

Chondrichthyes' Body Structure

Cartilaginous fish, they have a somehwat flexible skeleton

What strengthens cartilage?

Calcium carbonate

Which fins give Chondrichthyees lift

Pectoral and pelvic fins

Which group is the first one to have teeth?

Chondrichthyes

What is the lateral line system?

This located along their flanks, it is a row of microscopic organs that sense tiny variations in the surrounding water pressure

Why are fishes skin covered with scales and mucus

To reduce drag while swimming

What is the swim bladder?

Used by bony fish to float. They gain or lose gas to control their buoyancy

What is the gill cover?

Used by fish for respiration, which is covered with a flap called the operculum

What two structures allow bony fish to remain stationary in water?

The operculum and the swim bladder

What members are in Class Amphibia

Frogs, salamanders, and caecilians.

Who were the first land vertebrates

Amphibians

What caused vertebrates to move to land?

High oxygen concentrations and food sources

What are the requirements for a move to land?

Prevent dessication, new gas exchange surfaces, new way of moving, better circulation, save water by producing hypertonic urine, a way to keep gametes and embryos moist

What kind of circulation do fish have?

Single-loop (heart - gills- rest of body)

Is the skin of a frog a good moisture barrier?

No, because the frog's lungs are not very good they must also have gas-permeable skin

What makes reptiles adapted to land?

The development of the amniotic egg

What is positive-pressure breathing?

Amphibians have this, and it is where they gulp air into their oral cavity and force it under positive pressure into the lungs

What is negative-pressure breathing?


Also called thoracic breathing, this increases lung volume to create a negative pressure inside that sucks air into the lungs. This allows for large lung capacities

What is a benefit of internal fertilization?

It prevents gametes from drying out

Are reptiles ecto or endothermic?

Ectothermic

In comparison to mammals, how many calories do reptiles need?

10%

What are the functions of feathers?

Insulation and flight

What is a bird's skeleton called and what are its features?

The flight skeleton, it is honeycombed with internal air spaces

Does a bird have a high or low metabolism?

High because they need to use a lot of energy for flight

What are birds lungs called?

The air sac, they are lobed lungs and life's most efficient lungs. They help remove heat by increasing the surface area exposed to outside air

What helps lighten a bird?

Their air sacs, because they would otherwise be filled with tissue

What kind of heart does a bird have?

A 4 chambered one

What makes up the hair in a mammal?

The protein keratin

What is the purpose of hair?

To retain heat because mammals are endothermic and need to keep warm, it can also be used as camouflage and can be used with touch receptors

What is characteristic of mammals?

Their mammary glands, which produce milk and are present in all female mammals

What are placental mammals?

Animals that have a placenta

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