Having a simple or naked mouth opening without specialized adornments; characteristic of gymnostomes.
From 'gymnos' (naked), 'stoma' (mouth), and '-ous' (having the quality of). This adjectival form describes the feature of having an unadorned mouth opening.
Scientists name things based on what they see—these protozoans literally have naked mouths compared to fancier-looking relatives. Simple observation becomes scientific terminology!
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