hemocoel

[ hee-muh-seel, hem-uh- ]

noun

, Anatomy.

1. a series of interconnected spaces between tissues and organs through which blood flows freely, unconfined by veins or arteries, occurring in several invertebrate groups, especially mollusks and arthropods.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hemocoel¹

First recorded in 1830–40; hemo- + -coel ( def )

Example Sentences

But the digestive system—which is unusually extensive in sea spiders, running down each leg—was contracting in waves, moving food in the gut as well as blood in the surrounding hemocoel cavity, the spider equivalent of veins and arteries.

From Science Magazine