Basic properties of the animal organism

Among all the diversity of organisms, animals occupy their own niche. Representatives of this kingdom are very numerous and diverse. Euglena green, freshwater hydra, dragonfly-beauty, lake frog, duck mallard, polar bear ... By what signs they are united in one kingdom? What are the general properties of the animal body? The answers to these questions are in our article.

Basic properties of the animal organism

Animals have mastered all habitats. They can live on land and in soil, in air, in water, and parasitic species - in other organisms. Common to them are the cellular structure, the unity of the chemical composition, the type of nutrition, the characteristics of growth, metabolic processes, the ability to move. The differences in these signs are due to different conditions: the temperature of water or air, the presence of solar energy, the quantity and nature of food.

Method of nutrition

The properties of the animal organism are determined primarily by the way they feed. By this sign they are heterotrophs. This means that animals are able to consume only ready-made substances. They get food in many ways. For example, predators attack their prey, and saprotrophs decompose dead organics. Parasitic animals feed on other organisms. The nature of food depends on the characteristics of the structure of various organs. For example, predators are well developed fangs, and in rodents they are absent and replaced by additional incisors.

Features of the cell level

Animal cells are also characterized by a number of symptoms. First of all, this is the absence of green plastids of chloroplasts, which determines their inability to photosynthesis. The cell wall consists of carbohydrate compounds with proteins and lipids and is represented by glycocalysis. Such a chemical composition determines the elasticity and strength of this structure. Many properties of the animal organism are also due to the presence of a nucleus in their cytoplasm. This organelle contains genetic material and participates in the fission process. Unicellular animals, for example, euglena, infusoria, amoeba, multiply by crushing in two. Their vacuoles do not contain any reserve substances. These structures fulfill the function of digesting food particles and removing excess salts and water.

Motion

The properties of the animal organism are also determined by their ability to move actively in space. This important ability is provided by specialized structures. The simplest animals have organelles of movement. They can be represented by cilia, flagella or pseudomonas. In multicellular animals, this function is performed by the musculoskeletal system. It consists of a skeleton, muscles and ligaments. The limbs of animals can be modified. The nature of metamorphosis depends primarily on the characteristics of the habitat of organisms. Thus, in birds the upper limbs are turned into wings, and in aquatic mammals - into fins. In any case, all animals actively move in space in search of food and better living conditions.

Growth

The growth of animals is limited. This means that quantitative changes occur only up to a certain period of life, after which they stop. For example, cats and dogs grow up to about 3 years, and a person - up to 20. Quantitative changes are always accompanied by qualitative - development. This is manifested in the complication of the course of various physiological processes.

So, the characteristic properties of the animal organism - a heterotrophic way of feeding, the ability to actively move, limited growth. It is on these grounds that the classification and systematic position of these creatures is determined.