Ciona
Encyclopedia
Ciona is a genus of Cionidae
sea squirts.
The body of Ciona is bag-like and covered by a tunic
, which is a secretion of the epidermal
cells. The body is attached at a permanent base located at the posterior part, and the opposite bears two openings, the buccal
(oral
) and atrial (cloacal) siphons
. The water is drawn into the ascidian through the buccal siphon and leaves the atrium through the atrial siphon.
and Ciona savignyi have been sequenced.
Cionidae
Cionidae is a family of sea squirts belonging to the suborder Phlebobranchia....
sea squirts.
The body of Ciona is bag-like and covered by a tunic
Tunic
A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles...
, which is a secretion of the epidermal
Squamous epithelium
In anatomy, squamous epithelium is an epithelium characterised by its most superficial layer consisting of flat, scale-like cells called squamous epithelial cells...
cells. The body is attached at a permanent base located at the posterior part, and the opposite bears two openings, the buccal
Cheek
Cheeks constitute the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear. They may also be referred to as jowls. "Buccal" means relating to the cheek. In humans, the region is innervated by the buccal nerve...
(oral
Mouth
The mouth is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food andsaliva. The oral mucosa is the mucous membrane epithelium lining the inside of the mouth....
) and atrial (cloacal) siphons
Siphon (biology)
The term siphon is used for a number of biological structures, either because flowing liquids are involved, or because the object is shaped like a siphon...
. The water is drawn into the ascidian through the buccal siphon and leaves the atrium through the atrial siphon.
Genome projects
As of 2008, the genomes of Ciona intestinalisCiona intestinalis
Ciona intestinalis is a urochordata , a tunicate widely distributed in Northern European waters. As an invasive species, it has also spread to other parts of the world....
and Ciona savignyi have been sequenced.
External links
- The Tunicate Portal, an access point to the main websites and databases dealing with tunicates
- Ascidians.com, pictures of species around the world
- ANISEED, a model organism database for several ascidians species including Ciona intestinalis and Halocynthia roretzi
- JGI Ciona intestinalis v2.0, genome sequence