perivisceral coelom
Quick Summary
The term "perivisceral coelom" refers to a body cavity within an animal that surrounds the viscera, or internal organs. This cavity is a key feature in the classification of animals, particularly within the Bilateria, which are animals with bilateral symmetry and three distinct tissue layers (triploblastic).12
There are three main body plan types recognized in Bilateria:
* Acoelomate: Animals with no internal fluid-filled body cavity.2
* Pseudocoelomate: Animals possessing a cavity between the inner (endoderm) and middle (mesoderm) body layers, but this cavity lacks a cellular peritoneal lining.2
* Coelomate: Animals with a true coelom, a cavity within the mesoderm. This true coelom can develop in two ways: schizocoelous (formed by splitting of mesodermal masses) or enterocoelic (formed from outpocketings of the embryonic gut).32
The presence and nature of these body cavities are fundamental in establishing an animal's basic body plan and influence its size and complexity.2
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