·
Animals have very different shapes and
structures. But we can easily describe this in general terms that identify
parts of the animal’s anatomy.
·
Symmetry:
A symmetrical organism can be cut into equal halves. Some are asymmetrical which
means they cannot be cut into half. There are different types of symmetry depending
on how one divides the organism:
o
Spherical
symmetry: the organism can be divided into equal halves by a cut in any
direction as long as the cut passes through the center of the body. These types
of animals have no top, bottom, or sides.
o
Radial
symmetry: a body pattern that can be divided into equal halves by a cut
made through the center of the animal and along its length.
o
Bilateral
symmetry: a body pattern that can be divided into equal halves only by a
cut that passes longitudinally (top to bottom) and divides the animal into
right and left sides.
·
There are some terms that are common when
discussing animal anatomy.
o
Cephalic:
concerning the head
o
Caudal:
concerning the tail
o
Anterior:
towards the front, forward
o
Posterior:
towards the rear, farther back
o
Dorsal:
on or near the upper surface, back
o
Ventral:
on or near the lower surface, front
o
Lateral:
on or toward the side
o
Medial:
on or towards the middle
o
Midline:
divides the right and left
o
Transverse:
crosses perpendicular to midline
·
The animal kingdom is often divided into two
informal groups: invertebrates and vertebrates.
o
Vertebrates, or animals with backbones, would
include animals such as fish, birds, snakes, lions, mice, and elephants.
 |
| A baby elephant |
o
Invertebrates make up 95% of the different
species in Kingdom Animalia. These animals have no backbone and usually keep
their soft-bodies inside of a cavity such as clams, lobsters, and insects.
 |
| Clams |
o
The following is a diagram of the breakdown of
Kingdom Animalia.
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