enterocoelous

Enterocoelous refers to a method of coelom formation, which is the body cavity found in many animals. In enterocoelous development, the coelom arises from outpocketings of the embryonic gut. Specifically, the mesoderm, the germ layer that forms the coelom, originates from the endoderm of the archenteron (the primitive gut). As the embryo develops, the archenteron expands and pinches off to form a series of sacs. These sacs then separate from the gut wall and eventually fuse to form the coelom. This mode of coelom formation is characteristic of deuterostomes, a major classification of animals that includes echinoderms and chordates. In contrast, enterocoely is distinct from schizocoely, where the coelom forms from the splitting of mesodermal bands. The enterocoelous method is considered a more primitive form of coelom development compared to schizocoely.