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.
It's an inflammatory lung disease. The cause of this inflammation is not known, but it almost always affects the lungs first. Ninety percent of the patients have lung involvement, but sarcoidosis can affect any organ in the body--lungs, skin, eyes, heart, brain, bones.