gastrovascular
/ˌɡæstroʊˈvæskjələr/
adjective
- Relating to a body cavity that functions in both digestion and circulation, as in jellyfish and other simple animals.
- In biology class, we studied how the gastrovascular system of a sea anemone works without a separate heart or blood vessels.
- The jellyfish has a gastrovascular cavity that digests food and moves nutrients around its body.
- The gastrovascular network in a flatworm helps distribute digested food to all its cells.