noun
- Plural of enterocoele; pouches or outgrowths of the embryonic gut that form the body cavity (coelom) in certain animals, particularly echinoderms and some other organisms.
Usage: technical; biology; embryology
Examples
- In echinoderm development, enterocoeles arise from the wall of the archenteron.
- The formation of enterocoeles is a key feature in the embryological development of certain marine organisms.
- Biologists study enterocoeles to understand how body cavities develop in different animal phyla.
- The enterocoeles eventually separate from the gut to form the coelomic compartments.