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medusa
me·du·sa / məˈdoōsə; -zə/ • n. (pl. -sae / -sē; -sī; -zē; -zī/ or -sas ) Zool. a free-swimming sexual form of a coelenterate such as a jellyfish, typically having an umbrella-shaped body with stinging tentacles around the edge. In some species, medusae are a phase in the life cycle that alternates with a polypoid phase. Compare with polyp. ∎ a jellyfish. |
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"medusa." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "medusa." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-medusa005.html "medusa." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-medusa005.html |
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medusa
medusa The free-swimming stage in the life cycle of the Cnidaria. Medusae are umbrella-shaped, with tentacles round the edge and the mouth in the centre underneath. They swim by pulsations of the body and reproduce sexually. In the Hydrozoa (e.g. Hydra) they alternate in the life cycle with polyps, from which they are produced by budding. In the Scyphozoa, which includes all the common jellyfish, the medusa is the dominant form and the polyp is reduced or absent.
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"medusa." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "medusa." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-medusa.html "medusa." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-medusa.html |
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medusa
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "medusa." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "medusa." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-medusa.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "medusa." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-medusa.html |
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medusa
medusa in zoology, scientific name for the jellyfish , i.e., the free-swimming stage of various animals in the phylum Cnidaria . See polyp and medusa . |
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Cite this article
"medusa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "medusa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-medusa.html "medusa." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-medusa.html |
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