Blastula: The stage of an embryo before gastrulation

Ectoderm: The outermost of the three germ layers of an embryo that

develops into the epidermis and epidermal tissues, the nervous system,
external sense organs, and the mucous membranes lining the mouth and
anus
Endoderm: The innermost germ layer of the animal embryo; develops into
the epithelium of the pharynx, respiratory tract, digestive tract, bladder, and
urethra
Mesoderm: In an embryo, the middle layer of cells that gives rise to muscles,
blood, and various systems
Body plan: An animal's shape, symmetry, and internal organization
Asymmetrical: Irregular in shape; without symmetry
Radial symmetry: A body plan in which the parts of an animal's body are
organized in a circle around a central axis
Bilateral symmetry: A condition in which two equal halves of a body mirror
each other
Cephalization: The concentration of nerve tissue and sensory organs at the
anterior end of an organism
Coelom: A body cavity that contains the internal organs
Acoelomate: An animal that lacks a coelom, or body cavity
Pseudocoelomate: An animal that has a pseudocoelom, or false body cavity
Coelomate: An animal that has a body cavity in which the internal organs are
located
Phylogenetic tree: A branching diagram that shows how organisms are
related through evolution
Gastrovascular cavity: A cavity that serves both digestive and circulatory
purposes in some cnidarians
Respiration: The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between living cells
and their environment; includes breathing and cellular respiration
Gill: In mushrooms, a structure that is located on the underside of the cap
and bears the spores; in aquatic animals, a respiratory structure that
consists of many blood vessels surrounded by a membrane that allows for
gas exchange
Open circulatory system: A type of circulatory system in which the
circulatory fluid is not contained entirely within vessels; a heart pumps fluid
through vessels that empty into spaces called sinuses
Closed circulatory system: A circulatory system in which the heart circulates
blood through a network of vessels that form a closed loop; the blood does
not leave the blood vessels, and materials diffuse across the walls of the
vessels
Hydrostatic skeleton: In many invertebrates, the cavity that is filled with
water and that has a support function
Exoskeleton: A hard, external, supporting structure that develops from the
ectoderm
Endoskeleton: An internal skeleton, such as the bony or cartilaginous
skeleton of vertebrates
Hermaphrodite: An organism that has both male and female reproductive
organs
External fertilization: The union of gametes outside the bodies of the
parents, as in many fishes and amphibians
Internal fertilization: Fertilization of an egg by sperm that occurs inside the
body of a female