Heterogangliate

/ˌhɛtərəɡæŋɡliət/ adjective

Definition

Having ganglia (nerve clusters) of different sizes or types, or possessing ganglia that are irregularly distributed.

Etymology

From Greek 'hetero-' (different) plus Latin 'ganglia' (nerve clusters), with the suffix '-ate' indicating possession of the feature. A technical term in neurobiology.

Kelly Says

Ancient mollusk fossils show heterogangliate nervous systems where some ganglia are huge and others tiny, suggesting evolution was experimenting with different ways to organize neural processing before settling on modern body plans.

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