Noun. 1. chordate-any animal of the phylum Chordata having a notochord or spinal column. animal, animate being, beast, creature, fauna, brute-a living organism characterized by voluntary movement. Chordata, phylum Chordata-comprises true vertebrates and animals having a notochord.cephalochordate-fish-like animals having a notochord rather than a true spinal column. tunicate, urochord, urochordate-primitive marine animal having a saclike unsegmented body and a urochord that is conspicuous in the larva.hordata, phylum Chordata-comprises true vertebrates and animals having a notochord. cephalochordate-fish-like animals having a notochord rather than a true spinal column. tunicate, urochord, urochordate-primitive marine animal having a saclike unsegmented body and a urochord that is conspicuous in the larva.
In more than half of all cases, rheumatic fever may affect the heart valves (rheumatic carditis) and interfere with normal blood flow through the heart. Even without treatment, though, only about three people out of every 10 who have a strep throat infection develop rheumatic fever.
How your arteries affect your blood pressure. High blood pressure can affect the ability of the arteries to open and close. If your blood pressure is too high, the muscles in the artery wall will respond by pushing back harder.