notochordal

Variant of notochord

notochord definition

noto·chord (nōt′ə kôrd′)

noun

  1. an elongated, rod-shaped structure composed of cells, forming the primitive supporting axis of the body in the lowest chordates and lying between the digestive tract and the central nervous system
  2. a similar structure in the embryonic stages of higher vertebrates, which later is surrounded and replaced by the vertebral column

Etymology: noto- + chord

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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