gill arch
- noun
- /ɡɪl ɑrtʃ/
- Specialized
:
arco branquial
- The development of the gill arches in some aquatic amphibians plays a crucial role in their respiratory system.
- mandibular gill arch
Examples
-
Nevertheless, recognizing that most muscles have retained the innervation they acquired during the gill-arch stage helps clarify the arrangement in humans.
Academic text (2003) -
Approximately 460 million years ago, the anterior gill arches of some aquatic vertebrates evolved into jaws and their supporting structures, including the hyomandibular bone.
Academic text (2003) -
So to hold their food and eat it too, an even deeper gill arch evolved into a secondary set of jaws.
-
The relationship between the gill arches and the cranial nerves is complex.
Academic text (2003) -
And these cartilages and that bone come from the gill arches in the embryo.
-
Some attention to the structure of the original connection between the brain case and the gill arches is useful in understanding the basic changes in pressure that allowed for the eventual modification of the jaw and ear.
Academic text (2003) -
The anterior trabeculae are formed from neural crest tissue, and they make up a portion of the visceral skeleton anterior to the mandibular gill arch.
Academic text (2003) -
Each side of a fish's pharynx contains a series of bony structures known as gill arches that support its gills.
-
During the embryonic stage, the formation of gill arches is essential for the proper development of the aquatic vertebrate's gills.
Synonyms
A series of arches on each side of a fish's throat that support the gills
An arch of bone or flexible tissue at the side of a fish's throat that supports the gills
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines 'gill' (breathing organ of fish) with 'arch' (a curved supporting structure), so a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer it refers to a curved/supporting structure associated with gills. Although the term is technical/anatomical, its meaning is directly compositional and cross-linguistically mirrored in scientific terminology, making it transparent to learners who know the constituents.
Etymology
Gill arch comes from the simple picture of a curved arch of bone or soft tissue beside the gill. That curved piece 'supports' the gills like a small frame, so the name means the arch that holds the gills in place.
