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Kingdom Animalia

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Tejinder Kaur, Academic Content Creator at Edumarz

R.H. Whittaker in 1969 gave the five kingdom classification of organisms. The five kingdoms are Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia.

Animalia-

This kingdom consists of animals.

Features of Animalia:

  • Multicellular eukaryotes

  • Absence of cell wall

  • Heterotrophic mode of nutrition

  • Sexual or asexual mode of reproduction

The different phylums of kingdom Animalia are:

  • Porifera

  • Coelenterata (Cnidaria)

  • Platyhelminthes

  • Nematoda

  • Annelida

  • Arthropoda

  • Mollusca

  • Echinodermata

  • Hemichordata

  • Chordata

Phylum Porifera:

  • The word porifera is derived from “poros” meaning holes i.e. they include animals having pores all over the body.

  • They are commonly called sponges.

  • Habitat is mostly marine, only a few are fresh water.

  • They are non motile, multicellular, asymmetric organisms.

  • Have pores all over the body and body made up of a hard shell like skeleton made up of calcium carbonate.

  • The body is not differentiated into body parts.

  • No specialized system for digestion, respiration, circulation and excretion.

  • Pores over the body lead to a characteristic “water canal system” which helps in all major metabolic processes.

  • Example : Sycon, Spongilla

Phylum Coelenterata

  • The word Colenterata is derived from a Greek word “kilos” meaning a hollow belly i.e. the body is hollow.

  • The body has two ends, anterior and posterior. Anterior end consists of the mouth and the posterior end consists of anus.

  • Habitat is aquatic.

  • The body consists of two layers of cells, the inner layer and the outer layer and hence called diploblastic.

  • Exists in two forms: polyp (solitary) and medusa (Colony).

  • Example: Hydra, Sea anemone

Phylum Platyhelminthes

  • They are commonly called flatworms because their body is dorso ventrally flattened and is leaf-like.

  • The body is made up of three layers of cells i.e. triploblastic.

  • They do not have a coelom i.e. no body cavity lined by mesoderm. Hence called Acoelomate.

  • The body can be divided into two equal parts from a single body axis, so called bilateral symmetrical.

  • The body is differentiated and the organ system is developed.

  • They live either freely or are parasitic i.e. feed on hosts.

  • Example: Tapeworm, planaria

Phylum Nematoda

  • They are commonly called roundworms because their body is cylindrical like.

  • They are bilaterally symmetrical and consist of three body layers of cells hence called triploblastic.

  • They are called pseudocoelomates as they have a body cavity but are not lined by mesoderm i.e. false body cavity.

  • They are parasitic and are disease causing. Example: Elephantiasis caused by Wuchereria.

  • Sexual dimorphism is seen in them i.e. the male and female can be easily differentiated.

  • Example: Ascaris, Wuchereria.

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