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Overview
notochord
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An elastic skeletal rod lying lengthwise beneath the nerve cord and above the alimentary canal in the embryos or adults of all chordate animals (see Chordata). Its function is to strengthen and support the body and act as a protagonist for the muscles. It is found in both adult and larval lancelets but in adult vertebrates it is largely replaced by the vertebral column.
From: notochord in A Dictionary of Biology »
Subjects: Science and technology — Life Sciences
