| Name: | notochord |
|---|---|
| Synonyms: | notocord |
| Definition: | Rod-like principal supportive element of the embryo and larva, present in the midline just ventral to the neural tube, and differentiating during the segmentation period to form large vacuolated epithelial cells and a surrounding sheath of fibrous and elastic layers. Layering of the sheath may differ in structure, thickness and development among groups; in cypriniforms there are actually three very thin layers to the sheath. A functional, well developed notochord is present throughout life in certain basal fish groups but not in cypriniforms. |
| Ontology: | Anatomy Ontology [ZFA:0000135] |
| Name: | desmosome |
|---|---|
| Synonyms: | macula adherens, spot desmosome |
| Definition: | A cell-cell junction in which: on the cytoplasmic surface of each interacting plasma membrane is a dense plaque composed of a mixture of intracellular anchor proteins; a bundle of keratin intermediate filaments is attached to the surface of each plaque; transmembrane adhesion proteins of the cadherin family bind to the plaques and interact through their extracellular domains to hold the adjacent membranes together by a Ca2+-dependent mechanism. |
| Ontology: | GO: Cellular Component [GO:0030057] QuickGO AmiGO |