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Endoskeleton

 
Endoskeleton

 
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Endoskeleton
 
 
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An endoskeleton is an internal support structure of an animal
Animal

Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the Kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life....
. In three phyla
Phylum

A phylum "Phylum" is adopted from the Greek phylai, the clan-based voting groups in Greek city-states. is a taxonomic rank below Kingdom and above Class ....
 and one subclass
Subclass

Subclass may refer to:* Subclass , a taxonomic rank intermediate between class and superorder* Subclass , a class that is derived from another class or classes...
 of animals, endoskeletons of various complexity are found: Chordata, Echinoderm
Echinoderm

Echinoderms are a Phylum of Marine animals . Echinoderms are found at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone.Aside from the problematic Arkarua, the first definitive members of the phylum appeared near the start of the Cambrian period....
ata, Porifera, and Coleoidea
Coleoidea

Subclass Coleoidea is the grouping of cephalopods containing all the primarily soft-bodied creatures. Unlike its sister group the Nautiloidea, which has a rigid outer shell for protection, the coleoids have at most an internal bone or shell that is used for buoyancy or support....
. An endoskeleton allows the body to move and gives the body structure and shape.






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Swordfish Skeleton
An endoskeleton is an internal support structure of an animal
Animal

Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the Kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life....
. In three phyla
Phylum

A phylum "Phylum" is adopted from the Greek phylai, the clan-based voting groups in Greek city-states. is a taxonomic rank below Kingdom and above Class ....
 and one subclass
Subclass

Subclass may refer to:* Subclass , a taxonomic rank intermediate between class and superorder* Subclass , a class that is derived from another class or classes...
 of animals, endoskeletons of various complexity are found: Chordata, Echinoderm
Echinoderm

Echinoderms are a Phylum of Marine animals . Echinoderms are found at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone.Aside from the problematic Arkarua, the first definitive members of the phylum appeared near the start of the Cambrian period....
ata, Porifera, and Coleoidea
Coleoidea

Subclass Coleoidea is the grouping of cephalopods containing all the primarily soft-bodied creatures. Unlike its sister group the Nautiloidea, which has a rigid outer shell for protection, the coleoids have at most an internal bone or shell that is used for buoyancy or support....
. An endoskeleton allows the body to move and gives the body structure and shape. A true endoskeleton is derived from mesodermal
Germ layer

A germ layer is a group of cell s, formed during animal embryogenesis. Germ layers are particularly pronounced in the vertebrates; however, all animals more complex than sea sponge produce two or three primary tissue layers ....
 tissue. Such a skeleton
Skeleton

In biology, a skeleton is a rigid framework that provides protection and structure in many types of animal, particularly those of the phylum Chordata and of the superphylum Ecdysozoa....
 is present in echinoderms and chordates. The poriferan 'skeleton' consists of microscopic calcareous or siliceous spicule
Spicule

Spicules are skeleton structures that occur in most Sea sponges. They provide structural support and deter predators. Large spicules, visible to the naked eye are referred to as megascleres, while smaller, microscopic ones are termed microscleres....
s or a spongin
Spongin

Spongin is a type of collagen protein that forms the fibrous skeleton of most organisms among the Phylum Porifera, the sponges.Spongin does not make up spicules....
 network. The Coleoidae do not have a true endoskeleton in the evolutionary sense; here, a mollusc exoskeleton
Exoskeleton

An exoskeleton is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal endoskeleton of, for example, a human skeleton....
 evolved
Evolution

In biology, evolution is change in the heritability trait of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. These changes are caused by a combination of three main processes: variation, reproduction, and selection....
 into several sorts of internal structure, the "cuttlebone" of cuttlefish
Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish are Marine animals of the order Sepiida belonging to the Cephalopoda class . Despite their common name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs....
 being the best-known version. Yet they do have cartilaginous tissue in their body, even if it is not mineralized, especially in the head, where it forms a primitive cranium. An important advantage of an endoskeleton over an exoskeleton is that it provides more structural support.

See also

  • Exoskeleton
    Exoskeleton

    An exoskeleton is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal endoskeleton of, for example, a human skeleton....
  • Hydrostatic skeleton
    Hydrostatic skeleton

    A hydrostatic skeleton or hydroskeleton is a structure found in many cold-blooded organisms and soft-bodied animals consisting of a fluid-filled cavity, the coelom, surrounded by muscles....