coelom

or coe·lome ce·lom

[ see-luhm ]

noun

, Zoology.

, plural coe·loms, coe·lo·ma·ta [si-, loh, -m, uh, -t, uh].

1. the body cavity of higher metazoans, between the body wall and intestine, lined with a mesodermal epithelium.

coelom

/ -ləm; sɪˈlɒmɪk; ˈsiːləʊm /

noun

1. the body cavity of many multicellular animals, situated in the mesoderm and containing the digestive tract and other visceral organs

coelom

/ sē′ləm /

1. The body cavity that forms from the mesoderm during the embryonic development of more complex animals. The coelom suspends the gut in fluid in the middle of the body, protecting it from gravity and allowing great increases in body size. The presence or absence of a coelom is important for the classification of animal phyla.
2. See more at deuterostome

Derived Forms

• coelomic, adjective

Other Words From

• coe·lom·ic [si-, lom, -ik, -, loh, -mik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of coelom¹

1875–80; < Greek koílōma cavity, equivalent to koilō-, variant stem of koiloûn to hollow out (verbal derivative of koîlos hollow) + -ma noun suffix denoting result

Word History and Origins

Origin of coelom¹

C19: from Greek koilōma cavity, from koilos hollow; see coel-

Example Sentences

The kidney duct is seen running along the roof of the coelom on either side.

From Project Gutenberg

Development shows that the glandular tube is mesoblastic in origin and is of the nature of a coelomoduct, while the end-sac is to be regarded as a vestigial portion of the coelom.

From Project Gutenberg

When the pus escapes from the tubes into the coelom it sets up pelvic peritonitis.

From Project Gutenberg

In Arthropoda the origin of the coelom is similar to that of Annelids, but its history is not completely known in any group, with the exception of Peripatus.

From Project Gutenberg

Into the space between the walls of the coelom and the outer body-wall, originally filled with jelly, definite cells now wandered, chiefly derived from the coelomic walls.

From Project Gutenberg