Definition

A group of animals that includes species like starfish and chordates, characterized by a specific type of embryonic development where the mouth does not form from the first opening in the embryo.

Example

Starfish are an example of a deuterostome, which develops differently from other animals during their early stages.

Conversation

Did you know that a deuterostome is an interesting type of animal?

Really? I haven't heard that term before.

Yeah, it includes creatures like starfish and some worms.

That's pretty cool! I love learning about different animal classifications.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Deuterostome → It is formed from "deutero-" (from Greek "deuteros", meaning second) and "stoma" (from Greek "stoma", meaning mouth). The term refers to animals whose mouth develops secondarily during embryonic development, as opposed to protostomes, where the mouth develops first.

Memory Tip

Think of 'second' ('deutero-') and 'mouth' ('stoma') to remember that a deuterostome is an organism whose mouth forms after the other openings during development.

Visually Confused Words