Glossary:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G,H, I, J, K, L, M, O, P,Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z
Ahermatypic corals – the
opposite to hermatypic corals. Corals not producing big, hardy
skeletons able to produce a reef. Usually ahermatypic corals
don’t live in symbiosis with zooxantellae, often they are
deep-water corals.
More information on the page:
Classification
Algae – the simplest,
autotrophic plants. Probably all organisms originated from them.
They are all widely in size, form differentiation and habitat, to
this group belong for example unicellular plants and large,
complex, multicellular plants. Algae inhabit almost every place,
where there is water and sunlight: they can inhabit seas, lakes,
rivers, pools, glaciers, wet rocks.
More information on the page:
Zooxantellae
Anion – a negative
ion, atom or a group of atoms, which as a result of join of one or
a group of electrons, have negative charge, for example: anion of
Br- or anion of CO32-.
More information on the page:
Building of
skeleton
Aragonite -
CaCO3, a mineral, form of calcium carbonate; needle
crystals, colorless and transparent, sometimes whitish or
yellowish. Frequent component of calcareous skeleton of many
present and fossil animals. In conditions prevailing on the Earth
surface aragonit is undurable and changes into calcite. See also:
calcite.
More information on the page:
Building of
skeleton
Basal disk – also:
sole. Disk closing below a polyp cylinder, fixing coral body to the
subsrate.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Blastomeres –
descendant cells, originated from fertilized egg in the process
called stration.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction
Blastula – the early
stage of an embryo originated in process of striation. Blastula has
several dozens of cells. Cnidaria’s blastula is a bubble with
only one cell layer.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction
Budding – the method
of asexual (vegetative) reproduction. A part of parent body bring
into relief, from the relief a new organism grows.
More information on the page:
Vegetative
reproduction
Calcite – a mineral
consisting on hexagonal crystals of calcium carbonate
CaCO3. It can be colorless and transparent, sometimes
tinged, mainly with yellow. It builds skeletons of many organisms.
It can also origin from aragonite, undurable in conditions
prevailing on the Earth surface.
More information on the page:
Building of
skeleton
Calcium carbonate –
salt, CaCO3, see also: aragonite and calcite.
More information on the page:
Building of
skeleton
Calice – by hermatypic
corals distal part of skeleton, inhabited by coral
polyp.
More information on the page:
Dependienciec between the coral body
and skeleton
Calicoblastic ectoderm
– part of ectoderm producing skeleton. It is situated on
basal disk and on polyp walls.
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Building of
skeleton
Cation – a positive
ion, atom or a group of atoms, which as a result of disconnection
of one or a group of electrons, have positive charge, for example:
cation of H+ or cation of Ca2+.
More information on the page:
Building of
skeleton
Cell – a basic element
of structure of a living organisms, which in the simpliest case can
consist of one cell. Sizes of cells are very different, most of
them are not bigger than 0,03 mm size, the longest are nerve cells
– their outgrowth can have even a few meters length. The
biggest cell is vitellus ball [not sure about the name] of ostrich
egg, it can have even 10 centimeter in diameter.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Cilia – short,
filamentous structures, existing on the surface of many cells. As
result of containing contractile protein they can curve (or be
curved) and then return to the previous position. Cilia move to
shift a substance along surface of cells or to move whole organism
(if it’s a unicellular organism).
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Cnidaria – type
of multicellular animals belonging to invertebrates. They are the
simplest Eumetazoa, their characteristic trait is having
nematocysts. They have two cell layers: ectoderm and gastroderm
(sometimes called: endoderm) one cavity called coelenteron. Now
name Cnidaria is a type, but it was a subtype before. Animals from
present types Cnidaria and Ctenophora were joined in a type
Coelenterates. The name of the type was made from coelenteron
– only animals from this two types
(Cnidaria,Ctenophora) has general body cavity –
coelenteron. Now name Coelenterates is not being used, because of
too many differences between animals from types Cnidaria and
Ctenophora.
More information on the page:
Classification
Coelenteraes – see
Cnidaria.
More information on the page:
Classification
Coelenteron – general
body cavity existing by Cnidaria and Ctenophora. It
plays a role of digestive and circulatory system.
More information on the page:
Classification
Coenosarc – common
body of a coral colony. It originates when a new polyp grows beyond
the wreath of tentacles (in process called budding) and the
distance between polyps grows. On coenosarc new polyps can
grow.
More information on the page:
Vegetative
reproduction
Coenosteum – common
skeleton of a coral colony. It’s being produced by canosark.
On coenosteum new coral calices can grow.
More information on the page:
Vegetative
reproduction
Colony – a number of
individuals, animals as well as plants, of the same specie, living
in one place, fixed to the substrate. Colony origins when organisms
which grew in a vegetative reproduction don’t separate.
Examples of colonial organisms: most of corals, some hydrozoa,
sponges, algae.
More information on the page:
Vegetative reproduction and Classification
Corallite - skeleton of one
polyp.
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Building of
skeleton
Cytosymbiosis – type
of symbiosis. One symbiont live in other symbiont’s cell.
Example of symbiosis is coexistence of reef corals and
zooxantellas. Most of reef (hermatypic) corals live in symbiosis
with zooxantellas, which inhabit ectoderm cells of coral.
More information on the
page: Leptoseris
fragilis
Diffusion –
spontaneously mixing of molecules of a substance from one reservoir
having bigger concentration the other having smaller
concentration.
More information on the page:
Coral physiology
Dioecious – existence
of two structurally different forms – male and female in one
specie.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction
Dychotomic growth –
the manner of growing of colony. All individuals in colony grow
simultaneously. Neighbor polyps are of the same age.
More information on the page:
Vegetative
reproduction
Ectoderm – external,
one cell layer of coelenterates. In this cell layer nematocysts
exist.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Embryo – 1. In
zoology: term describing animal in period between fertilization and
getting out from egg or mother organism. By mammals multicellular
embryo in late stage, resembling an adult is called fetus (by human
– since third month). 2. In botany: by vascular plants, young
plant, originated in process of fertilization, having primordial
root, steam and leafs.
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Generative reproduction
Epithelium – one or a
few layers tissue that covers surfaces, lines the tubes and
cavities of the body. Epithelium forms most of glands.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Eumetazoa – term which
states all animals having tissues. It includes all multicellular
organism except sponges.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Fertilization – union
of male gamete (spermatozoa) and female gamete (egg). It leads to
origin of a zygote.
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Generative reproduction
Fluorescence - spontaneously
emission of light. Usually it treads on the heel of absorption of
radiation. Usually emitted waves are longer than absorbed. Coral
Leptoseris fragilis absorbs having length from 5 *
10-7 m (500nm) do 3,8 * 10-7 m (380nm), with
dominating waves of from 3,8 * 10-7 m (380nm) to 4,2 *
10-7 m (420nm)length. It emits waves of 4 *
10-7 m (400nm) do 7,2 * 10-7 m (720nm)
length.
More information on the
page: Leptoseris
fragilis
Gamete - reproduce cell of
an animal or a plant, egg or spermatozoa.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction
Gastroderm – internal,
one cell layer of coelenterates. In gastroderm of most hermatypic
corals zooxantellas inhabit.
More information on the
page: Anatomy
Gastrula - the stage of an
embryo by all Eumetazoa originated in a process called
gastrulation. By many animals, for example vertebrates gastrula has
three cell layer. By Cnidaria gastrula has only two cell layers and
is the latest embryonic stage, the next stage is young, but fully
developed Cnidaria animal.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction
Gastrulation – process of transformation one cell
layer blastula into two or three cell layer gastrula. By
Cnidaria this process lie on moving a part of cells from the
surface into the interior of an embryo.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction
Gonad - animal
reproductive gland producing gametes. Female gonad is
called ovary, and male - testicle.
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Generative reproduction
Hermatypic corals –
reef corals, the opposite to ahermatypic corals. Corals producing
big, hardy skeletons able to produce a reef. Usually hermatypic
corals live in symbiosis with zooxantellae, often they are
shallow-water corals.
More information on the page:
Classification
Ion - atom or a group of
atoms not neutral electrically - having negative or positive
charge. The charge depends on amount of electrons (having negative
charge). If in atom there are more electrons than protons (having
positive charge) the atom has negative charge. However if there are
less electrons that protons in the atom it has positive charge.
More information on the page:
Building of
skeleton
Jellyfish – one of two
possible Cnidaria’s body shape. This form occurs by Scyphozoa
and Hydrozoa as the sexually reproducing form. It is a
free-swimming, contractile umbrella. Jellyfishes are part of
zooplankton.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
K
Leptoseris fragilis
– untypical reef coral, inhabiting depth from 100m to
150m below the sea surface. It lives in symbiosis with zooxantella
and has pigmentary cells which can conduct fluoresce.
More information on the
page: Leptoseris
fragilis
Longitudinal division
– kind of vegetative (asexual) reproduction by corals.
First coral begin to broaden. Then it starts to divide:
coelenteron, mesenterias, mouth and built new tentacles.
More information on the page:
Vegetative
reproduction
Mesenteriae – a
barrier dividing coelenteron by corals. Mezenterias are fixed to
the oral disk and stream down as curtains. In mesenteriae gonads
origin.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Mesoglea – also:
mesogloea, jelly, non-cellular substance lying between
corals’ ectoderm and gastroderm. By other Cnidaria
instead of mesoglea there is a
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Metabolism – the sum
total of the chemical processes of living organisms which result in
growth the production of energy and the maintenance of the vital
function and in which the waste products of these processes are
rendered harmless.
More information on the page:
Coral physiology
Meter – a unit of measure, abbreviation: m. One meter = 3.280839895013 feet.
Monopodial growth –
the manner of colony growth. The oldest polyp is placed on the top
of the colony, accumulate continually exoskeleton creating
trunk-like structure.
More information on the page:
Vegetative
reproduction
Mucus – any slimy
secretion of animal origin.
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Anatomy
Nanometr – a unit of measure, abbreviation: nm. Nano-, in abbreviation n meaning 1:10-9 of given size. One nanometr would be 1:10-9 m.
Nematocyst – a capsule
with filiform missile situated in ectoderm cells by
Cnidaria. It serve to defend, catching prey and fighting
with other corals.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Oral disk – disk
closing above the polip body. In the middle of oral disk there is
mouth surrounded by tentacles.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Pharynx – that part of
the digest system. By corals it leads from mouth to coelenteron.
It’s upholstered by ectoderm. BY vertebrates it’s a
canal that lies between oral cavity and esophagus.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Planula – a
free-swimming, ciliated Cnidaria’s larva being in a
stage of gastrula. Notice, that the term planula and gastrula
doesn’t mean the same.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction
Polyp - one of two
possible body shapes by Hydrozoa and Scyphozoa, the only possible
shape by Anthozoa (corals). Polyp looks like a sac (by Hudrozoa) or
as a cylinder (by corals). It is closed above by an oral disk and
below by a basal disk (called also: sole), fixing polyp to the
substrate. It has single mouth surrounded by tentacles.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Q
Reef (inorganic) –
underwater ridge or rock situated near to the water surface or even
over the surface, derivation organic as well as inorganic, being a
danger to ships. The term reef was introduced by mariners.
More information on the page:
Reef history.
Reef (organic) - underwater
ridge or rock situated near to the water surface or even over the
surface, organic derivation, originated from accumulation of
reef-builders’ skeletons. Construction called reefs has been
being built [good tense???] since the beginning of the Paleozoic
era.
More information on the page:
Reef history.
Reef-builders – animal
and plant organisms producing calcareous skeletons. The main role
in the process of reef building since Paleosoic have played colony
organisms.
More information on the page:
Reef history.
Reproductive cell –
see: gamete.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction
Scleractinians – order
of corals, to which main reef builders belong. Skleractinians was
called also: madreporian corals, stone corals.
More information on the page:
Classification and Reef history.
Shelf, continental –
shallow, coastal part of bottom of the sea. It extends to about 200
meters depth.
More information on the page:
Reef types
Skeleton – system of
hard elements, being part of animal, rarely plant organism,
produced from organic or inorganic substances. Skeleton supports or
protects organs of animals or plants. It can also be a place where
muscles are fixed. Skeleton can be a scaffolding for the body
(internal skeleton = endoskeleton) or can surround it (external
skeleton = exoskeleton). For vertebrates typical is endoskeleton.
Invertebrates usually have exoskeleton , for example: many corals,
mollusks, crustaceans. Some invertebrates have endoskeleton for
example: sponges, some corals. Also unicellular radiolarias and
foraminiferane produces mineral skeletons (external and
internal).
More information on the page:
Building of
skeleton
Stolon – horizontally
growing cell layer by corals. It fixes whole colony to the
substrate. On stolons new polyps can grow.
More information on the page:
Vegetative
reproduction
Striation – process of
several division of fertilized egg into descendent cells called
blastomers. It leads to originate a blastula. By taxonomically
different animals stration takes place in a different way. When
blastomers are the same size stration is called steady, when they
are different in size it’s called - unsteady. Stration can be
also complete [Chow – please check in encyclopedia if word
steady and complete are good for describe striation] (when all cell
divides) or partial (when only part of cell divides). By, for
example Cnidaria and Mammalia striation is complete and steady.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction
Symbionts – organisms
living in symbiosis with each other.
More information on the
page: Leptoseris
fragilis
Symbiosis – the
association of two organisms different taxonomically, from wich
each organisms benefits. For example symbiosis would be association
of: corals and algae, fungi and trees, bacteria and plants from
Papilionacae family.
More information on the
page: Leptoseris
fragilis
Sympodial growth – the manner of
colony growth. On the border of an adult polyp new polyp grows,
creating lateral offshoot. The difference between sympodial and
monopodial growth is, that in sympodial growth there is no
“trunk” being produced, the youngest polyps are on the
top of the colony.
More information on the page:
Vegetative
reproduction
Tentacles – filiform
or digitate mobile appendix existing by many animals near mouth.
Usually they play functions of sensorial organ. By corals tentacles
mainly get nourishment. Some corals have also tentacles playing
other role. They are much bigger, adapted to fight with other
corals.
More information on the page:
Anatomy
Transvers division – a
kind of vegetative (asexual) reproduction by individual corals. In
this process polyp divide tranversally of coral into two parts. On
part contains basal disk and the other – oral disk. Both part
have to complete missing part of the body.
More information on the page:
Vegetative
reproduction
U
V
Waves of light – Sun
emits very different in length waves, from 10–14
meters to 107 meters, which is very close to direct current. Human is able to see waves in
length from 0.4µ (violet) do ok. 0.76µ (red), which in
meters would be: from 4 * 10-7 to 7,6 *
10-7. In physics the term waves of light (light)
includes range of radiation bigger than range of waves visible for
human: from 10-10 m do 10-4 m. Waves having
length from 10-10 m to10-7 m, are called
ultraviolet radiation, radiation that causes sunburn, waves from
10-6 m to 10-4 m are called infrared
radiation that you can feel as warmth.
More information on the
page: Leptoseris
fragilis
Zooxantellae – algae
living in symbiosis with most of hermatypic corals. They inhabit
coral gastroderm.
More information on the page:
Coral physiology and Leptoseris fragilis
Zygote – cell
originated in process of unit of gametes during sexual (generative)
reproduction.
More information on the page:
Generative reproduction