Animalia Kingdom: What is, characteristics, classification and examples

The Animalia or Animal Kingdom is One of the five famous kingdoms Taxonomic of the biological evolution in which the different life forms that exist are grouped, and have existed, on earth. The 5 kingdoms of nature are the following:

• The plant plant
• The Animalia kingdom
• The Fungi Kingdom
• The protist kingdom
• The Monera Kingdom

As its name indicates, it is They gather each and every one of the different species of animalsgrouped into a hierarchical system depending on the homologous characters that share with each other. In this way, animals constitute a large, old and well -defined “branch” within the evolutionary tree of life, which originated about 600 million years ago.

Zoology It is the part of the biology in charge of exhaustive study of the Animalia kingdomhaving as some of its main objectives to discover all the animal species that exist, reconstruct their evolutionary relationships and reflect these relationships in the construction of a taxonomic system.

If you want to know more about the branches of zoology and what each one studies, do not hesitate to consult this ecology article that we recommend.

Now that we know what the animal kingdom is, we will talk about its characteristics. The different species that belong to the Animalia kingdom are distributed by each and every one of the various ecosystems of the biosphere, the science being responsible for this geographical distribution study of animals being. Let’s see, then more Characteristics of the Kingdom of Animals:

• They are multicellular organisms: whose cells are characterized by the presence of a nucleus well limited by a membrane, that is, they are eukaryotic organisms. You can consult more information about unicellular and multicellular organisms: examples and differences, here.
• They are heterotrophic beings: That is, they depend on the consumption of other organisms to meet their nutritional needs. They thus have different capture and processing strategies of the wide variety of foods they consume, as well as a regulation of ingestion and digestion of such foods. Learn more about heterotrophic organisms: what are, characteristics and examples with this other article.
• They have different locomotion systems: that allows them to move and move, as well as with the presence of teguments and other support and protection systems.
• They have complex morphology and size: These animals have surprisingly variable forms and measures.
• They have a Nervous system complex: In addition to organs of the senses that characterize the vast majority of animal groups. This nervous system is constituted by a network of neurons and different union points between the nerves, the synapse process and nerve coordination confers animals one of the most amazing abilities for interspecific relationships, that is, to relate to other living beings and the nature that surrounds them.
• They have an endocrine system: It is in charge of the regulation of the numerous and diverse hormones that intervene both in the metabolism of animals, as in their behavior and social and reproductive relations.
• They have circulatory systems: They are used to achieve rapid and effective transport of nutrients and other dissolved substances that guarantee the proper functioning of their organs. These circulation systems transport different body fluids, such as blood, sometimes characterized by being open systems (as in arthropods) or closed (as in vertebrates).
• They have a complex breathing process: It is an exchange of gases for which animals have various strategies and organs adapted to meet the respiratory needs of the organism. The mammalian respiratory system, the fish gill and the tracheal system of arthropods stand out. In other groups of animals, such as some amphibians, breathing is cutaneous, through the skin.

Thanks to the study of phylogeny, zoologists announce the great diversity of animals that exist, taking into account their evolutionary origins, models of organization and set of biological properties that relate or distinguish them from each other. For example, the presence or absence of bones allows us to classify animals into vertebrates or invertebrates.

The Classification of the Kingdom of Animals It is currently very complex, recognizing up to 32 different edges. Within them, the best known and most abundant edges, in order of lower to greater anatomical and functional complexity, are:

• Porifers or sponges: with around 9,000 species.
• Cnidarians: approximately 10,000 species can be counted.
• Platelmintos or flat worms: with about 20,000 species.
• Round nematodes or worms: there are 25,000 species.
• Anélidos or worms with rings: with around 17,200 species.
• Molluscs: with about 93,000 species.
• Arthropods or articulated legs: There are up to 1,200,000 species.
• Equinodermos: with 7,000 species.
• Cordados: There are approximately 64,788 species.

To this last edge belong the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. All of them characterized by the presence of a “dorsal rope” during its embryonic development, which is maintained throughout the lives of many of the lamb species (In humans, Homo sapiens sapiensthis dorsal rope is the so -called spine, vital for the correct locomotion and development of the nerve and cognitive skills that characterize us as a species).

Let’s put some Examples of the Kingdom of Animalsfollowing the classification of the previous section, to learn more about the great diversity of species that fill every corner of the biosphere with life:

• Poriferous: Violet tubular sponge (APLYSINA ARCERI), fresh water sponge (Spongilla Alba) and vitreous sponge (APHROCALLISTES VASTUS)
• Cnidarians: jellyfish (Medusozoa subfilus), anemones and corals (anthozoa subfilos).
• Platelmintos: Planaria (genus prostheceraeus), statams or trematodes (trematoda class) and had (Taenia Saginata).
• Nematodes: Potato root nematode (genre Globodera), American necantor (Necator Americanus) and oxiuro (Enterobius vermicularis).
• Anélidos: Sanguijuelas (Haemadipsa class), worms (oligochaeta subclass) and sea plurates (Sabellida class).
• Molluscs: clams (Veneroida family), mussels (mythylidae family), octopus (octopoda order) and squid (teuthida order).
• Arthropods: Tarantulas (Lycosidae family), Religious Mantis (Mantidae Family), Ciepiés (Chilopoda Class) and Crabs (Crustaceans).
• Equinodermos: Sea stars (asteroid class), sea urchins (Echinoid class) and Holoturias (Holothuroid class).
• Cordados: White shark (Carcharodon Carcharias), Las Nieves Leopardo (Panthera Uncia), pilgrim hawk (Falco Peregrinus), Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), Salamandra common (Salamandra Salamandra).

Next, you can see Animalia Kingdom Imagesspecifically of each of the species mentioned in this list in order.

Like every link of the complex and surprising evolutionary chain of living beings, the kingdom of animals has great importance. Each of the species that belong to this kingdom play an essential role within the correct functioning of the ecosystem in which he lives.

In this way, we can talk about the importance of the Animalia kingdom in ecological terms, because Each species is directly related to both their prey and their predatorsin circles of energy transformation and balances of the habitat in which it develops and fulfills its vital functions.

As we can see, it is complex to determine the Importance of the kingdom of animalsgoing beyond the small and limited vision that human beings can have regarding the existence of the different groups of animals that we have discovered throughout this article.

Do not hesitate to take a look at this video About the 5 kingdoms of nature To have more information about them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs34sny_p4o

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