animal

animal,

any member of the animal kingdom (kingdom Animalia), as distinguished from organisms of the plantplant,
any organism of the plant kingdom, as opposed to one of the animal kingdom or of the kingdoms Fungi, Protista, or Monera in the five-kingdom system of classification.
..... Click the link for more information. kingdom (kingdom Plantae) and the kingdoms FungiFungi
, kingdom of heterotrophic single-celled, multinucleated, or multicellular organisms, including yeasts, molds, and mushrooms. The organisms live as parasites, symbionts, or saprobes (see saprophyte).
..... Click the link for more information. , ProtistaProtista
or Protoctista
, in the five-kingdom system of classification, a kingdom comprising a variety of unicellular and some simple multinuclear and multicellular eukaryotic organisms.
..... Click the link for more information. , and MoneraMonera,
taxonomic kingdom that comprises the prokaryotes (bacteria and cyanobacteria). Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms that lack a membrane-bound nucleus and usually lack membrane-bound organelles (mitochondria, chloroplasts; see cell, in biology).
..... Click the link for more information. in the five-kingdom system of classification. (Another classification system, suggested by genetic sequencing studies, places animals with plants and some other forms in a larger taxonomic unit called the eukarya to distinguish them from the prokaryotic bacteria and archaea, or ancient bacteria.)

Essentially, animals are many-celled heterotrophic organisms. Plants and algae characteristically manufacture their food from inorganic substances (usually by photosynthesis); animals must secure food already organized into organic substances. They are dependent upon photosynthetic organisms, which provide oxygen as a byproduct and are the ultimate source of all their food. Animals (as well as plants) provide carbon dioxide through respiration and the decomposition of their dead bodies (see carbon cyclecarbon cycle,
in biology, the exchange of carbon between living organisms and the nonliving environment. Inorganic carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is converted by plants into simple carbohydrates, which are then used to produce more complex substances.
..... Click the link for more information. ; nitrogen cyclenitrogen cycle,
the continuous flow of nitrogen through the biosphere by the processes of nitrogen fixation, ammonification (decay), nitrification, and denitrification. Nitrogen is vital to all living matter, both plant and animal; it is an essential constituent of amino acids,
..... Click the link for more information. ). In addition, most animals have specialized means of locomotion, generally involving muscle cells, and possess nervous systems and sense organs—all adaptations for securing food. In most forms there is a distinct alimentary canal or digestive system. Animal cells do not have cell walls. Almost all animals, unlike most plants, possess a limited scheme of growth; that is, the adults of a given species are nearly identical in their characteristic form and are similar in maximum size. Most animals reproduce sexually, but some are capable of asexual reproduction under certain circumstances.

With the advent of electron microscopy and advanced biochemical analyses, intricate differences between simple and microscopic organisms were better understood, and many that were previously fit into the animal or plant kingdom were then placed into separate kingdoms (i.e., Monera for the bacteria, Protista for the algae and protozoans, and so forth). In zoological classificationclassification,
in biology, the systematic categorization of organisms into a coherent scheme. The original purpose of biological classification, or systematics, was to organize the vast number of known plants and animals into categories that could be named, remembered, and
..... Click the link for more information. the animal kingdom has been divided into the three subkingdoms of Parazoa (the sponges), Mezozoa (wormlike parasites), and Eumetazoa. Eumetazoa comprises numerous invertebrateinvertebrate
, any animal lacking a backbone. The invertebrates include the tunicates and lancelets of phylum Chordata, as well as all animal phyla other than Chordata. The major invertebrate phyla include: the sponges (Porifera), coelenterates (Cnidaria), echinoderms
..... Click the link for more information. phyla and the phylum ChordataChordata
, phylum of animals having a notochord, or dorsal stiffening rod, as the chief internal skeletal support at some stage of their development. Most chordates are vertebrates (animals with backbones), but the phylum also includes some small marine invertebrate animals.
..... Click the link for more information. . The chordates include two primitive subphyla of a few species each and the subphylum Vertebrata (see vertebratevertebrate,
any animal having a backbone or spinal column. Verbrates can be traced back to the Silurian period. In the adults of nearly all forms the backbone consists of a series of vertebrae. All vertebrates belong to the subphylum Vertebrata of the phylum Chordata.
..... Click the link for more information. ). There are at least 1.5 million animal species; approximately 95% of these are invertebrates.

The scientific study of animals is called zoologyzoology,
branch of biology concerned with the study of animal life. From earliest times animals have been vitally important to man; cave art demonstrates the practical and mystical significance animals held for prehistoric man.
..... Click the link for more information. ; the study of their relation to their environment and of their distribution is animal ecologyecology,
study of the relationships of organisms to their physical environment and to one another. The study of an individual organism or a single species is termed autecology; the study of groups of organisms is called synecology.
..... Click the link for more information. . For specific approaches to the study of living things, see biologybiology,
the science that deals with living things. It is broadly divided into zoology, the study of animal life, and botany, the study of plant life. Subdivisions of each of these sciences include cytology (the study of cells), histology (the study of tissues), anatomy or
..... Click the link for more information. .

Animal

Any living organism which possesses certain characteristics that distinguish it from plants. There is no single criterion that can be used to distinguish all animals from all plants. Animals usually lack chlorophyll and the ability to manufacture foods from raw materials available in the soil, water, and atmosphere. Animal cells are usually delimited by a flexible plasma or cell membrane rather than a cell wall. Animals generally are limited in their growth and most have the ability to move in their environment at some stage in their life history, whereas plants are usually not restricted in their growth and the majority are stationary.

The presence or lack of chlorophyll in an organism does not determine its affinity to the plant or animal kingdom. Among the protozoa, the class Phytamastigophora includes animals, such as the euglenids, which have chromatophores containing chlorophyll. These organisms are considered to be animals by zoologists and plants by phycologists. Higher parasitic plants and the large plant group Fungi also lack chlorophyll. Another borderline group is the slime molds: the Mycetozoa of zoologists and the Myxomycophyta of the botanists; these organisms exhibit both plant and animal characteristics during their life history. Movement is not a characteristic restricted to the animal kingdom; many of the thallophytes such as Oscillatoria, numerous bacteria, and colonial chlorophytes are motile.

Classifying organisms as plants or animals is difficult. Today biologists recognize up to five kingdoms. Most place the one-celled animals and plants, sometimes along with algae and certain other groups, into the Protista. Other kingdoms are the Monera for the bacteria and blue-green algae, and the Fungi for the slime molds and true fungi. These schemes for recognizing additional kingdoms have the practical advantage of eliminating the difficulties of delimiting and describing the kingdoms of multicellular animals and plants. See Animal kingdom, Plant, Plant kingdom

animal

[′an·ə·məl] (zoology) Any living organism distinguished from plants by the lack of chlorophyll, the requirement for complex organic nutrients, the lack of a cell wall, limited growth, mobility, and greater irritability.

animal

Zoology any living organism characterized by voluntary movement, the possession of cells with noncellulose cell walls and specialized sense organs enabling rapid response to stimuli, and the ingestion of complex organic substances such as plants and other animals
www.biosis.org.uk/free_resources/classifn/classifn.html
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/index.html
www.a25.com/animals.html
www.itis.usda.gov

Animals

(dreams)Carl Jung said that all wild animals indicate latent affects (feelings and emotions that we do not readily deal with). They are also symbolic of dangers (hurtful and negative things) being “swallowed” by the unconscious. The interpretation of the animal in your dream depends on your relationship with it in daily life. Animals represent the qualities in our character or specific aspects of our personalities. They could symbolize our more intuitive and instinctive parts, or they could serve as messengers for the unconscious. Please look up each animal individually by name.

animal

an·i·mal

A0309400 (ăn′ə-məl)n.1. Any of numerous multicellular eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Metazoa (or Animalia) that ingest food rather than manufacturing it themselves and are usually able to move about during at least part of their life cycle. Sponges, jellyfishes, flatworms, mollusks, arthropods, and vertebrates are animals.2. An animal organism other than a human, especially a mammal.3. A person who behaves in a bestial or brutish manner.4. A human considered with respect to his or her physical nature, as opposed to rational or spiritual nature.5. A person having a specified aptitude or set of interests: "that rarest of musical animals, an instrumentalist who is as comfortable on a podium with a stick as he is playing his instrument" (Lon Tuck).adj.1. Relating to, characteristic of, or derived from an animal or animals, especially when not human: animal cells; animal welfare.2. Relating to the physical as distinct from the rational or spiritual nature of people: animal instincts and desires.

[Middle English, from Latin, from animāle, neuter of animālis, living, from anima, soul; see anə- in Indo-European roots.]

animal

(ˈænɪməl) n1. (Zoology) zoology any living organism characterized by voluntary movement, the possession of cells with noncellulose cell walls and specialized sense organs enabling rapid response to stimuli, and the ingestion of complex organic substances such as plants and other animals. 2. any mammal, esp any mammal except man3. a brutish person4. facetious a person or thing (esp in the phrase no such animal)5. (Automotive Engineering) informal Austral a very dirty caradj6. (Animals) of, relating to, or derived from animals: animal products; an animal characteristic. 7. of or relating to the physical needs or desires; carnal; sensual[C14: from Latin animal (n), from animālis (adj) living, breathing; see anima]

an•i•mal

(ˈæn ə məl)

n. 1. any member of the kingdom Animalia, comprising multicellular organisms that have a well-defined shape and usu. limited growth, can move voluntarily, actively acquire food and digest it internally, and have sensory and nervous systems that allow them to respond rapidly to stimuli. 2. any such living thing other than a human being. 3. a mammal, as opposed to a fish, bird, etc. 4. the physical or carnal nature of human beings; animality. 5. an inhuman person; brutish or beastlike person. 6. thing: A perfect job? Is there any such animal? adj. 7. of, pertaining to, or derived from animals: animal fats. 8. pertaining to the physical or carnal nature of humans, rather than their spiritual or intellectual nature: animal needs. [1300–50; < Latin, n. derivative of animāle, neuter of animālis living, animate =anim(a) air, breath + -ālis -al¹] an`i•mal′ic (-ˈmæl ɪk) an`i•ma′li•an (-ˈmeɪ li ən, -ˈmeɪl yən) adj. an′i•mal•ly, adv. syn: See carnal.

an·i·mal

(ăn′ə-məl) Any of a wide variety of multicellular organisms, most of which have a digestive tract, a nervous system, the ability to move voluntarily, and specialized sensory organs for recognizing and responding to their environment. Animals cannot manufacture their own food and must feed on plants, other animals, or other organic matter. Animals are grouped as a separate kingdom in taxonomy.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	animal - a living organism characterized by voluntary movementanimate being, beast, creature, fauna, bruteorganism, being - a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independentlyritual killing, sacrifice - the act of killing (an animal or person) in order to propitiate a deitytracking, trailing - the pursuit (of a person or animal) by following tracks or marks they left behindanimal kingdom, Animalia, kingdom Animalia - taxonomic kingdom comprising all living or extinct animalspest - any unwanted and destructive insect or other animal that attacks food or crops or livestock etc.; "he sprayed the garden to get rid of pests"; "many pests have developed resistance to the common pesticides"critter - a regional term for `creature' (especially for domestic animals)creepy-crawly - an animal that creeps or crawls (such as worms or spiders or insects)darter - a person or other animal that moves abruptly and rapidly; "squirrels are darters"peeper - an animal that makes short high-pitched soundshomeotherm, homoiotherm, homotherm - an animal that has a body temperature that is relatively constant and independent of the environmental temperatureectotherm, poikilotherm - an animal whose body temperature varies with the temperature of its surroundings; any animal except birds and mammalsrange animal - any animal that lives and grazes in the grassy open land of western North America (especially horses, cattle, sheep)varment, varmint - any usually predatory wild animal considered undesirable; e.g., coyotescavenger - any animal that feeds on refuse and other decaying organic matterwork animal - an animal trained for and used for heavy labordomestic animal, domesticated animal - any of various animals that have been tamed and made fit for a human environmentfeeder - an animal that feeds on a particular source of food; "a bark feeder"; "a mud feeder"migrator - an animal (especially birds and fish) that travels between different habitats at particular times of the yearmolter, moulter - an animal (especially birds and arthropods and reptiles) that periodically shed their outer layer (feathers or cuticle or skin or hair)pet - a domesticated animal kept for companionship or amusementstayer - a person or other animal having powers of endurance or perseverance; "the horse that won the race is a good stayer"stunt - a creature (especially a whale) that has been prevented from attaining full growthmarine animal, marine creature, sea animal, sea creature - any of numerous animals inhabiting the sea including e.g. fishes and molluscs and many mammalsfemale - an animal that produces gametes (ova) that can be fertilized by male gametes (spermatozoa)male - an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova)adult - any mature animalyoung, offspring - any immature animalpureblood, purebred, thoroughbred - a pedigreed animal of unmixed lineage; used especially of horsesgiant - any creature of exceptional sizesurvivor - an animal that survives in spite of adversity; "only the fittest animals were survivors of the cold winters"mutant - an animal that has undergone mutationherbivore - any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants; "horses are herbivores"; "the sauropod dinosaurs were apparently herbivores"insectivore - any organism that feeds mainly on insectsacrodont - an animal having teeth consolidated with the summit of the alveolar ridge without socketspleurodont - an animal having teeth fused with the inner surface of the alveolar ridge without socketsmicroorganism, micro-organism - any organism of microscopic sizeactinomycete - any bacteria (some of which are pathogenic for humans and animals) belonging to the order Actinomycetaleszooplankton - animal constituent of plankton; mainly small crustaceans and fish larvaeconceptus, fertilized egg, embryo - an animal organism in the early stages of growth and differentiation that in higher forms merge into fetal stages but in lower forms terminate in commencement of larval lifechordate - any animal of the phylum Chordata having a notochord or spinal columninvertebrate - any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classificationmetazoan - any animal of the subkingdom Metazoa; all animals except protozoans and spongesomnivore - an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substancespredatory animal, predator - any animal that lives by preying on other animalsprey, quarry - animal hunted or caught for foodgame - animal hunted for food or sport
Adj.	1.	animal - marked by the appetites and passions of the body; "animal instincts"; "carnal knowledge"; "fleshly desire"; "a sensual delight in eating"; "music is the only sensual pleasure without vice"carnal, fleshly, sensualphysical - involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit; "physical exercise"; "physical suffering"; "was sloppy about everything but her physical appearance"

animal

noun1. creature, beast, brute He was attacked by wild animals.2. brute, devil, monster, savage, beast, bastard (informal, offensive), villain, barbarian, swine (informal), wild man He was an animal in his younger days.adjective1. physical, gross, fleshly, bodily, sensual, carnal, brutish, bestial When he was drunk, he showed his animal side.Related words
prefix zoo-
like zoomania, zoophilia
enthusiast zoophile
fear zoophobia see amphibians, birds, dinosaurs, fish, insects, invertebrates, mammals, reptilesQuotations
"Animals, whom we have made our slaves, we do not like to consider our equal" [Charles Darwin]

Animals

Related words ant

Acronym	Definition
ANIMAL➣Acosados Nuestros Indios Murieron Al Luchar (Argentine band)
ANIMAL➣Associação Nortenha de Intervenção do Mundo Animal (Portugal Animal Rights Association)

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noun creature

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noun brute

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adj physical

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adj relating to the desires and appetites of the body

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noun a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

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adj marked by the appetites and passions of the body

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