exoskeleton /exo·skel·e·ton/ (-skel´ĕ-ton) a hard structure formed on the outside of the body, as a crustacean's shell; in vertebrates, applied to structures produced by the epidermis, as hair, nails, hoofs, teeth, etc.
exoskeleton
ex·o·skel·e·ton ( k s -skl  -tn)n. 1. All hard parts, such as hair, teeth, and nails, that develop from the ectoderm or mesoderm in vertebrates. 2. A hard outer structure, such as the shell of an insect, that provides protection or support for an organism. |
exoskeleton
[ek′səskel′ətən]
Etymology: Gk, exo, outside, skeletos, dried up
the hard outer covering of many invertebrates, such as crustaceans, which lack the bony internal skeleton of vertebrates. Compare endoskeleton.
exoskeleton
an external hard framework, as a crustacean's shell, that supports and protects the soft tissues of lower animals, derived from the ectoderm. In vertebrates the term is sometimes applied to structures produced by the epidermis, as hair, claws, hoofs, teeth, etc.
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