Definition of endoskeleton Endoskeleton

en•do•skel•e•ton

We found 6 definitions of endoskeleton from 6 different sources.

What does endoskeleton mean?

Noun Plural: endoskeletons
endoskeleton - the internal skeleton; bony and cartilaginous structure (especially of vertebrates)
		skeletal system, systema skeletale, skeleton, frame the hard structure (bones and cartilages) that provides a frame for the body of an animal
		craniate, vertebrate animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton with a segmented spinal column and a large brain enclosed in a skull or cranium
		bone, os a shade of white the color of bleached bones
		clavicle, collarbone bone linking the scapula and sternum
		scapula, shoulder blade, shoulder bone either of two flat triangular bones one on each side of the shoulder in human beings
		appendicular skeleton the part of the skeleton that includes the pectoral girdle and the pelvic girdle and the upper and lower limbs
		axial skeleton the part of the skeleton that includes the skull and spinal column and sternum and ribs
		arm bone a bone in the arm
		leg bone a bone of the leg

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endoskeleton (Noun)
The internal skeleton of an animal, which in vertebrates is comprised of bone and cartilage.

endoskeleton (n.)
The bony, cartilaginous, or other internal framework of an animal, as distinguished from the exoskeleton.

endoskeleton
en-dō-skel′e-ton, n. the internal skeleton or framework of the body.—adj. Endoskel′etal

An endoskeleton is a structure that holds an animal from inside.

One can find endoskeletons in three phyla and one subclass of animals: in Chordata, Echinodermata, Porifera and Coleoidea. An endoskeleton allows the body to move and gives the body structure and shape.

A true endoskeleton develops from mesodermal tissue. Such a skeleton is present in echinoderms and chordates. The Coleoidae do not have a true endoskeleton in the evolutionary sense; here, a mollusc exoskeleton developed into several sorts of internal structure, the "cuttlebone" of cuttlefish being the best-known version. An important advantage of an endoskeleton over an exoskeleton is that the endoskeleton provides more structural support.