Animal Kingdom Notes

Flashcards about the Animal Kingdom.

Animals

Multicellular, eukaryotic heterotrophs whose cells lack cell walls.

They obtain energy by consuming organic matter, and are classified into various groups such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.

Animal Functions

Essential functions animals carry out: feeding, respiration, circulation, excretion, response, movement, and reproduction.

Complex Animal Traits

High levels of cell specialization and internal organization, bilateral body symmetry, cephalization, and a body cavity.

Sponges

Multicellular, heterotrophic, lack cell walls, and contain a few specialized cells.

They are simple aquatic animals that filter feed by drawing water through their porous bodies.

Water Movement

Mechanism for feeding, respiration, circulation, and excretion in sponges.

Water is drawn in through pores and expelled through a larger opening, facilitating nutrient intake and waste removal.

Cnidarians

Soft-bodied, carnivorous animals with stinging tentacles around their mouth.

They include jellyfish, corals, and sea anemones, and possess specialized cells called cnidocytes that contain nematocysts for capturing prey.

Cnidarian Complexity

Simplest animals to have body symmetry and specialized tissues.

They exhibit radial symmetry and can have both polyp and medusa forms.

Polyp and Medusa

Two different-looking stages in the cnidarian life cycle.

Examples of Cnidarians

Jellyfishes, hydras, sea anemones, and corals.

Cephalization

The concentration of sense organs and nerve cells at the front of an animal's body.

This trait enhances the sensory and neural abilities, allowing for better spatial awareness and movement.

Heterotroph

An organism that obtains food by eating other organisms.

Invertebrate

An animal lacking a backbone.
These animals include jellyfish, worms, and insects. They are 95% of all animals.

Vertebrate

An animal with a backbone.

These animals include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. 5% of all animals are verterbrates.

blasula

an early stage of embryonic development following the morula stage, characterized by a hollow ball of cells.

Protostome

a developmental category in which the mouth forms before the anus during embryonic development, typically including organisms like arthropods and mollusks.

Bilateral Symmetry

Body plan in which only a single, imaginary line can divide the body into two equal halves.

Coelom

A body cavity that is a fluid-filled space between the digestive tract and body wall.

It is lined by mesoderm and allows for the development of more complex organs.

Radial Symmetry

Body plan in which body parts repeat around the center of the body.

Nematocyst

A stinging cell of a cnidarian.

It contains a coiled, barbed thread that can be discharged to capture prey or defend against predators.

Medusa

A free-swimming, jellyfish-like stage in the life cycle of some cnidarians.

Polyp

A vase-shaped stage in the life cycle of some cnidarians.

deuterostome

An animal in which the mouth develops from the second opening in the embryo, typically includes echinoderms and chordates.

Endoderm, mesoderm, ectoderm

The three primary germ layers in embryonic development that give rise to various tissues and organs in animals.

sea anemones and corals

Two groups of cnidarians that display the polyp form. They are characterized by their stationary, vase-like shape and their role in aquatic ecosystems.