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seta

  (') pronunciation
n. Biology., pl. -tae (-tē).
  1. A stiff hair, bristle, or bristlelike process or part on an organism.
  2. The stalk of a moss capsule.

[Latin saeta, sēta, bristle.]

setal se'tal (sēt'l) adj.
 
 

A bristle. Called also chaeta.

 
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: n. - A stiff hair or bristle; Stalk of a moss capsule.

Tutor's tip: This word was used in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals.

 
Wikipedia: seta


setae of a Uroplatus
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setae of a Uroplatus

A seta is a stiff hair, bristle, or bristle-like process or part of an organism. The plural form is setae.

In plants (i.e., botanical terminology), "seta" is synonymous with bristle—a stiff, strong hair or trichome. The term can also be applied to a modified hair-like structure, such as a pappus: a modified calyx in the Asteraceae.

Setae on their footpads are responsible for the gecko's ability to cling to vertical surfaces.

Setae help earthworms attach to the surface and prevent backsliding during peristaltic motion. These hairs are what make it difficult to pull a worm straight from the ground.

Setae on the legs of krill help them to gather phytoplankton.

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved.  Read more
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Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Seta" Read more

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