lateral line organ

8.8

A group of cells on fish that sense water movement and pressure

noun
/ˈlætərəl laɪn ˈɔrgən/

Specialized

: órgano de la línea lateral

Many aquatic creatures rely on their lateral line organ to sense vibrations and avoid predators.

Examples

The fish uses its lateral line organ to sense movement.
Researchers studied the lateral line organ to better understand how fish detect currents in the water.
Damage to the lateral line organ can affect a fish’s ability to navigate its environment.
Many species of fish have a lateral line organ.
Many aquatic creatures rely on their lateral line organ to sense vibrations and avoid predators.
Damage to the lateral line organ can affect a fish’s ability to navigate its environment.
Researchers studied the lateral line organ to better understand how fish detect currents in the water.

Synonyms

lateral line

vslateral line organ

Specialized

1 8.3

A line of small sense organs along the side of a fish or amphibian that senses water movement

is a single sensory organ that detects nearby water movement and pressure changes

Surface Forms

lateral line organ singular

lateral line organs plural

Morphology

lateral + line + organ

The components 'lateral' (side), 'line' (a linear feature) and 'organ' (a body part) allow a learner to infer an organ that runs along the side of an animal, so the locational/structural sense is fairly transparent. However, the precise biological function (a sensory system detecting water pressure and movement) is technical and not directly predictable from the constituents, making the term partially but not fully transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Lateral line organ gets its name from the long row of tiny sense cells along a fish's side: lateral means 'side', line means 'a row', and organ means 'a body part'. This row works like a set of water sensors, so fish use the lateral line organ to feel nearby movement and currents.