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Glite Dictionary
enteron

enteron

9.9
A tube in embryos and simple animals that digests food
  • noun
  • /ˈɛntərɒn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : enterón
  • During development, the enteron forms early in the embryo.

Examples

  • The enteron of the embryo develops into the adult digestive tract.

  • The embryologist explained that the enteron develops into the digestive system of the organism.

  • Damage to the enteron at this stage can affect the animal's ability to digest food later.

  • Scientists observed the structure of the jellyfish's enteron under a microscope.

  • The enteron is crucial for digestion.

  • In simple animals like jellyfish, the enteron functions as the main digestive cavity.

  • During the early stages of development, the enteron is crucial for nutrient absorption in embryos.

Synonyms

alimentary canal
vsenteron
  • Specialized
4.0

A long tube that runs from the mouth to the anus and carries food during digestion

is the same digestive system but focused on embryos or simple animals
coelenteron
vsenteron
  • Specialized
9.9

A sac inside animals like jellyfish and sea anemones that digests food and moves it around

is mainly the digestive passage in embryos or other animals rather than dual cavity
archenteron
vsenteron
  • Specialized
9.9

A central cavity in an early embryo that becomes the gut

develops into the same digestive canal but refers specifically to an early embryo stage

Surface Forms

enteron singular
enterons plural

Etymology

The word enteron comes from the Greek root enter- which means 'intestine' and appears in words like enteric and enteritis. So an enteron is the inside tube or 'gut' that carries food in embryos and simple animals, which is why it means the digestive canal.