Urochord
/ˈjʊərəʊkɔːd/noun
A flexible, rodlike notochord extending through the tail of a tunicate larva.
Did you know?In tunicates, the urochord is prominent in the free-swimming larva but is largely lost during metamorphosis when the animal settles and adopts its adult form.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
οὐρά (ourá)
“Tail”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χορδή (khordḗ)
“String, cord, or gut-string”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
urochorda
“A tail cord or tail notochord; formed from Greek-derived scientific elements”
19th Century
English
urochord
“A notochord located in the tail”
Modern English
English
urochord
“The tail-region notochord of a tunicate larva”