BIOL 151 Study Guide - Final Guide: Comparative Genomics, Detritivore, Heterotroph
Document Summary
Animals are eukaryotes that share key traits: multicellularity, with cells that. Lack cell walls: have extensive extracellular matrix, heterotrophy. They obtain necessary carbon compounds from other organisms: most ingest their food rather than absorbing it, motility. They move under their own power at some point in their life cycle. All animals except sponges also have: nerve cells called neurons that transmit electrical signals to other cells, muscle cells that can change the shape of the body by contracting. Animals are similar to multicellular fungi in that. However, animals are the only multicellular heterotrophs on the tree of life that ingest their food before digesting it. In most animals, neurons connect to each other, forming a nervous system. Some neurons connect to muscle cells: muscles and neurons are adaptations that allow a large, multicellular body to move efficiently. Animals are the largest predators, herbivores, and detritivores on earth. They are the key consumers in virtually every ecosystem.
