exoskeleton
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exoskeleton
[ek″so-skel´ĕ-ton]an external hard framework to the bodies of certain animals, derived from the ectoderm, such as a crustacean's shell; it supports and protects the soft tissues. In vertebrates the term is sometimes applied to structures produced by the epidermis, such as hair, nails, hoofs, and teeth.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
ex·o·skel·e·ton
(ek'sō-skel'ĕ-tŏn),1. Hard parts (for example, hair, teeth, nails, feathers, hooves, scales) developed from the epidermis in vertebrates. Synonym(s): dermoskeleton
2. Outer chitinous envelope of an insect, or the chitinous or calcareous covering of certain crustaceans and other invertebrates.
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ex·o·skel·e·ton
(eks'ō-skel'ĕ-tŏn)1. All hard parts (e.g., hair, teeth, nails, feathers, dermal plates, and scales), developed from the ectoderm or somatic mesoderm in vertebrates.
2. Outer chitinous envelope of insects, some crustaceous, and other invertebrates.
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
exoskeleton
a skeleton present on the outside of an organism as in ARTHROPODS or MOLLUSCS. Some vertebrates possess an exoskeleton in addition to an ENDOSKELETON, for example, armadillos and turtles. The exoskeleton may lie outside the EPIDERMIS, as in the arthropods, or inside, as in vertebrates such as scaly fish, tortoises, etc.Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005