Bristle-like structures found on many invertebrates, particularly annelid worms, that aid in locomotion, anchoring, and sometimes feeding. These chitinous projections can be simple or branched and are often retractable.
From Latin 'seta' meaning 'bristle' or 'hair,' used in biological contexts since the 18th century. The term was adopted directly from classical Latin, where it described the coarse hairs of animals or the bristles of plants.
Setae are nature's universal gripping tool - like having hundreds of tiny ice picks that help worms climb through soil! Some marine worms have such elaborate, feathery setae that they look more like underwater Christmas trees than simple bristles.
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