lithocyst

noun — 2 senses

lithocyst

noun

Etymology From litho- + cyst.

1

Biology, Natural sciences, Zoology A sac containing otoliths, found in medusae and other invertebrates.

2

Biology, Botany, Natural sciences A small, siliceous structure found in diatoms and some other types of algae that fills with gas or oil, controlling the buoyancy of the algae.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.