exoskeleton

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.

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.

A powered suit of armour being developed for military and construction applications which will protect and augment its wearer’s strength

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.

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.