You Deserve an Introduction...

To sum everything up, we get to dive pretty deep into the phylum chordata in my sixth period zoology class. What a privelage. To hit things off each post will briefly explain each phymlum that i have been assigned, including a picture, and if you are lucky a poem. So here goes nothing:) 


SOMETING TO UNDERSTAND.
Here are some basic characteristics that ALL chordates share:
Credit givne to Mr. Hathaway. These are notes that I took.

1. Notochord.

• a flexible rod structure that extnds the length of the body
• it is the axis of muscle attachment
• it can later develop into a complex jointed skeleton

2. Nerve Chord

• Dorsal and hollow
• can develop into the central nervous system
• brain and spinal chord

3. Pharyngeal Pouches

• slit like openings that lead from pharngeak cavity to the outside
• in the aquatic chordate they break and form gill slits
• in tetrapods (land) the become Eustachian tube, middle ear, tonisls etc..

4. Post-anal Tail

• provides motility for free swimming animals
• waggable tails in animals
• or lose it in embryonic development