OSSICLE

Ossicle

Ossicles are small calcareous elements embedded in the dermis of the body wall of echinoderms. They form part of the endoskeleton and provide rigidity and protection. They are found in different forms and arrangements in sea urchins, starfish, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, and crinoids. The ossicles and spines are the only parts of the animal likely to be fossilized after an echinoderm dies.

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Ossicle (echinoderm)
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ossicle

Noun

  1. A small bone (or bony structure), especially one of the three of the middle ear.
    The incus is one of the three auditory ossicles.
  2. Bone-like joint or plate, especially:
    1. one of numerous small calcareous structures forming the skeleton of certain echinoderms, as the starfishes;
    2. one of the hard articuli or joints of the stem or branches of a crinoid or encrinite;
    3. one of the several small hard chitinous parts or processes of the gastric skeleton of crustaceans, as in the stomach of a lobster or crawfish.
    4. The skeleton of echinoderms is made of ossicles, linked to each other via muscles and connective tissue.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: ossicle
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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