Home >  Term: pharyngeal slits
pharyngeal slits

Characteristic of chordates, pharyngeal slits are openings through which water is taken into the pharynx, or throat. In primitive chordates the pharyngeal slits are used to strain water and filter out food particles; in fishes they are modified for respiration. Most terrestrial vertebrates have pharyngeal slits only in the embryonic stage.

0 0

Creator

  • Tquinn
  •  (Bronze) 97 points
  • 100% positive feedback
© 2024 CSOFT International, Ltd.