Zooid: Difference between revisions
Category:Protostome anatomy |
→See also: listing two types of zooid colonies from VERY different taxa |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Siphonophorae]] for colonial [[Hydrozoa]] which superficially resemble the other [[Cnidaria]] colloquially referred to as "jellyfish" |
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*[[Tunicata]] |
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*[[Pyrosome]] for colonial Chordates in [[Tunicata]] |
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[[Category:Cnidarian anatomy]] |
[[Category:Cnidarian anatomy]] |
Revision as of 00:32, 17 June 2017
A zooid or zoöid /ˈzoʊ.ɔɪd/ is a single animal that is part of a colonial animal. Zooids are multicellular; their structure is similar to that of other solitary animals. The zooids can either be directly connected by tissue (e.g. corals, Catenulida, Siphonophorae, Pyrosome or Ectoprocta) or share a common exoskeleton (e.g. Bryozoa or Pterobranchia). The colonial organism as a whole is called a zoon /ˈzoʊ.ɒn/, plural zoa (from Greek zòon ζώον meaning animal; plural zòa, ζώα).
The term zooid has historically also been used for an organic cell or organized body that has independent movement within a living organism, especially a motile gamete such as a spermatozoon (in the case of algae now zoid), or an independent animal-like organism produced asexually, as by budding or fission.
See also
- Siphonophorae for colonial Hydrozoa which superficially resemble the other Cnidaria colloquially referred to as "jellyfish"
- Pyrosome for colonial Chordates in Tunicata