A central body cavity in cnidarians and some other simple animals that serves both digestive and circulatory functions. Food is digested within this cavity, and the resulting nutrients are distributed throughout the body.
From Greek 'gaster' meaning stomach and Latin 'vasculum' meaning small vessel, literally 'stomach-vessel cavity.' The term reflects the dual function of this cavity as both digestive chamber and circulatory system, coined when biologists recognized this unique anatomical feature.
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