exoskeleton
Sign in to savethumb|Discarded exoskeleton (exuviae) of [[dragonfly nymph]] thumb|Exoskeleton of cicada attached to a [[Tridax procumbens (colloquially known as the tridax daisy)]]
AI overview
An exoskeleton is a hard outer shell that covers the bodies of certain animals, like insects and dragonflies. Animals shed their exoskeletons as they grow, leaving behind the discarded shells you might find in nature.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Role
- Growth
- Paleontological significance
- Evolution
- See also
- References
thumb|Discarded exoskeleton (exuviae) of [[dragonfly nymph]] thumb|Exoskeleton of cicada attached to a [[Tridax procumbens (colloquially known as the tridax daisy)]]
An exoskeleton () is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal in the form of hardened integument, which both supports the body's shape and protects the internal organs, in contrast to an internal endoskeleton (e.g. that of a human) which is enclosed underneath other soft tissues. Some large, hard and non-flexible protective exoskeletons are known as shell or armour.