Sep 21 2009
What is Cloaca?
Cloaca is our word for the week from the big book of science terms. It is the common posterior chamber of most vertebrates into which the digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts all enter; a cloaca is found in most reptiles, birds, and amphibians; many fishes; and to a reduced degree, marsupial mammals. Placental mammals, however, havea separate opening and urinogenial opening. The cloaca forms a chamber in which products can be stored before being dispensed from the body via muscular opening, cloacal aperture.
Word for the week is an occosional posting on Science Fun. Words are chosen by opening the big book of science to any page at random and pointing to the page - whatever word is pointed at, it comes the word of the week.
