Animalia Taxonomy and Classification

Flashcards for reviewing key vocabulary and concepts related to the taxonomy and classification of animals.

Porifera

A phylum that includes sponges; characterized by asymmetry and lack of true tissues.

Cnidaria

A phylum that includes jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals; characterized by radial symmetry and presence of nematocysts.

Platyhelminthes

A phylum that includes flatworms such as flukes and tapeworms; characterized by bilateral symmetry and being acoelomate.

Nematoda

A phylum that includes roundworms; characterized by bilateral symmetry and having a pseudocoelom.

Rotifera

A phylum that includes rotifers; characterized by bilateral symmetry and a pseudocoelom.

Annelida

A phylum that includes segmented worms like earthworms and leeches; characterized by bilateral symmetry and a coelom.

Mollusca

A phylum that includes snails, clams, and cephalopods; characterized by bilateral symmetry and a coelom.

Arthropoda

A phylum that includes insects, arachnids, and crustaceans; characterized by exoskeleton and jointed appendages.

Echinodermata

A phylum that includes starfish and sea urchins; characterized by radial symmetry as adults and a coelom.

Chordata

A phylum that includes vertebrates; characterized by notochords, dorsal hollow nerve cords, and pharyngeal gill slits.

Coelomate

Organisms that have a true coelom completely surrounded by mesoderm.

Pseudocoelomate

Organisms that have a pseudocoelom, which is partially lined with mesoderm.

Acoelomate

Organisms that have no body cavity between the endoderm and mesoderm.

Metamorphosis

A biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a change in form.

Deuterostome

A group of animals in which the mouth is formed from the second opening of the embryo.

Protosome

A group of animals in which the mouth forms from the first opening of the embryo.

Nematocysts

Stinging cells found in cnidarians, used for capturing prey.

Cephalization

The concentration of nerve tissue and sensory organs at the anterior end of an organism.

Alimentary canal

A complete digestive tract with two openings, a mouth and an anus.

Hermaphrodite

An organism that has both male and female reproductive organs.

Osmoregulation

The process of maintaining salt and water balance across membranes within the body.