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Phylum Chordata: Dr. Muhammad Zahid

A short introduction to Proto-Chordates By Dr. Muhammad Zahid Department of Zoology Islamia College Peshawar

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MUHAMMAD ILYAS
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136 views27 pages

Phylum Chordata: Dr. Muhammad Zahid

A short introduction to Proto-Chordates By Dr. Muhammad Zahid Department of Zoology Islamia College Peshawar

Uploaded by

MUHAMMAD ILYAS
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Phylum Chordata

Dr. Muhammad Zahid


Phylum Chordata
All chordates have the following fundamental characteristics at
some stages of their life cycle:-

1.Notochord or Chorda dorsalis

2.Dorsal tubular hollow central nervous system

3.Gill slits or Pharyngeal clefts


Characteristics of Chordates
Phylum Chordata
1. Notochord or Chorda dorsalis:- A skeleton rod or
notochord is present at least in the embryonic stages of all
chordates except hemichordates.
- It provides internal support

- Unsegmented and flexible axial rod like structure.

In lower chordates Notochord is retained throughout life but


in higher chordates (vertebrates) it is replaced by vertebral
column.
Characteristics of Chordates
Phylum Chordata

2. Dorsal tubular hollow central nervous system


(=Spinal Cord)

All chordates possesses nervous system in the form of a hollow


tube.
It is situated mid dorsally above the notochord and below the
body wall.
Present in chordates throughout embryonic and adult life
It develops by the invaginations of ectoderm in the mid dorsal
line. It contains cavities.
Phylum Chordata
3. Gill slits or Pharyngeal clefts
Paired openings in the pharyngeal region in all the
chordates. These occur as a paired series of
perforations in the lateral wall of pharynx and lead to
the exterior.
In aquatic forms these are retains as gills

In higher chordates (terrestrial forms) changed into


other structures such as Eustachian tubes etc.
Terrestrial chordates or vertebrates possess lungs for
respiration.
Pharyngeal gill slits
• Pairs of opening through the pharynx
• Invertebrate chordates use them to filter food
• Juvenile fishes use them to them for breathing
• In adult fishes the gill sits develop into true gills
• In reptiles, birds, and mammals the gill slits are vestiges,
occurring only in the embryo
Characteristics of the Chordates cont.

Blocks of Muscle - Myotomes


• Surrounding the notochord and nerve cord are blocks of muscle -
myotomes

Postanal Tail
• The notochord, nerve cord, and the myotomes extend to the tail
• Found at some time during a chordate's development
Characteristics of Chordates
Phylum Chordata
In addition to above three peculiar characters chordates
also possesses the following characteristics

Presence of post anal tail.


Presence of ventral heart.
Presence of living endoskeleton.
Presence of closed circulatory system.
Presence of hepatic portal system.
Presence of red blood corpuscles.
Presence of vertebral column.
Presence of coelom etc etc
Classification of Phylum Chordata
Phylum Chordata

Acraniata Craniata

Subphylum Subphylum Subphylum


Urochordata Cephalochordata Vertebrata

Lancets Agnathans
Tunicates
Fish
Sharks
tetrapods
Phylum Chordata
Phylum chordata is divided into two main division and three sub-phyla.
Division Acraniata Or Protochordata
Division Craniata.
1. Division Acraniata: (protochordates)
This is further divided into two sub-phyla.
Sub-Phylum Urochordata (Tunicates)
Sub-Phylum Cephalochordata:
-
2. Division Craniata:
Sub-phylum vertebrata is further divided into five classes:-
Class Pisces.
Class Amphibia.
Class Reptilia.
Class Aves
Class Mammalia.
Phylum Chordata
1. Division Acraniata:
- Lack a skull or cranium.
This is further divided into two sub-phyla.
Sub-Phylum Urochordata (Tunicates)

Sub-Phylum Cephalochordata:
Subphylum
Urochordata
tunicate
Phylum Chordata Division Acraniata
Sub-Phylum Urochordata (Tunicates) or Ascidian

- Notochord is present in free swimming larva but absent in


adult
- Their body is covered with a sheath called tunic. Tunic is
made up of tunicin, a substance similar to cellulose.

- Larval form is free swimming but adult stage is sessile


• Some species are solitary, others are colonial.
• Possess all 5 chordate characteristics as larvae
Repro- sexual (hermaphroditic) and asexual (budding)

Examples: Ciona intestinalis, Molgula


Ciona intestinalis
(a solitary sea squirt)
Sub-Phylum Urochordata
SubPhylum Urochordata
Phylum Chordata: Division Acraniata
SubPhylum Cephalochordata
Phylum Chordata
Sub-Phylum Cephalochordata:

- Adults have notochord


- Body is long, pointed, so called as sea Lancelet
- Hollow nerve cord run through out the body
- They are free living and swim in water
- Modes of nutrition is filter feeding.
• Exclusively marine animals
• Although they are capable of swimming, they usually are
buried in the sand with only their anterior end being
exposed

Examples: Branchiostoma (Amphioxus).


Phylum Chordata
2. Division Craniata:
Skull or cranium encloses the brain
These animals have vertebral column so they are placed in a
single sub-phylum vertebrata.

Sub-phylum vertebrata is further divided into five classes

Class Pisces.
Class Amphibia.
Class Reptilia.
Class Aves
Class Mammalia.
Subphylum
Vertebrata
Subphylum Vertebrata

There are about 52,000 species of


vertebrates, including the largest
organisms ever to live on the Earth
General Characteristics

• Exhibit all 5 chordate characteristics at sometime in their life history


• Usually well cephalized, including a well developed brain and a
number of anterior sensory structures
• Brain is usually encased in a skull, made of hard bone or a cartilage.
• In most vertebrates, the embryonic notochord is replaced by a
vertebral column.
• Possess a distinctive endoskeleton consisting of vertebral column,
limb girdles, two pairs of jointed appendages, and a head skeleton
• Muscles are attached to the skeleton to provide movement
• Often have a muscular perforated pharynx
• Closed circulatory system with a well developed muscular heart;
blood is oxygenated as it flows through vascularized skin, gills or
lungs.

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