What, exactly, is an animal?

The question seems simple enough, but the answer

requires an understanding of some of the more obscure characteristics of
organisms, such as multicellularity, heterotrophy, motility, and other hard-to-
pronounce words used by biologists. In the following slides, we'll explore the
basic characteristics shared by all (or at least most) animals, from snails and
zebras to mongooses and sea anemones: multicellularity, eukaryotic cell
structure, specialized tissues, sexual reproduction, a blastula stage of
development, motility, heterotrophy and possession of an advanced nervous
system.

01
of 08

Multicellularity
 Science Photo Library - ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI / Getty Images

If you're trying to distinguish a true animal from, say, a paramecium or an

amoeba, it's not very hard: animals, by definition, are multicellular creatures,
though the number of cells varies greatly across species. (For example, the
roundworm C. elegans, which is widely used in biology experiments, consists of
exactly 1,031 cells, no more and no less, while a human being is composed of
literally trillions of cells.) However, it's important to keep in mind that animals
aren't the only multicellular organisms; that honor is also shared by plants, fungi,
and even some species of algae.

02
of 08

Eukaryotic Cell Structure

 MedicalRF.com / Getty Images

Possibly the most important split in the history of life on earth is the one
between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotic organisms lack membrane-
bounded nuclei and other organelles, and are exclusively single-celled; for
example, all bacteria are prokaryotes. Eukaryotic cells, by contrast, have well-
defined nuclei and internal organelles (such as mitochondria), and are capable of
grouping together to form multicellular organisms. While all animals are
euakaryotes, not all eukaryotes are animals: this hugely diverse family also
includes plants, fungi, and the tiny marine proto-animals known as protists.

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01:01

Animals Are More Intelligent Than We Know

03
of 08

Specialized Tissues
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One of the most remarkable things about animals is how specialized their cells
are. As these organisms develop, what seems to be plain-vanilla "stem cells"
diversify into four broad biological categories: nervous tissues, connective tissues,
muscle tissues, and epithelial tissues (which line the organs and blood vessels).
More advanced organisms display even more specific levels of differentiation; the
various organs of your body, for example, are made up of liver cells, pancreatic
cells, and dozens of other varieties. (The exceptions that prove the rule here
are sponges, which are technically animals but have virtually no differentiated
cells.)

04
of 08

Sexual Reproduction
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Most animals engage in sexual reproduction: two individuals have some form of
sex, combine their genetic information, and produce offspring bearing the DNA
of both parents. (Exception alert: some animals, including certain species of
sharks, are capable of reproducing asexually.) The advantages of sexual
reproduction are huge, from an evolutionary perspective: the ability to test out
various genome combinations allows animals to adapt quickly to new ecosystems,
and thus out-compete asexual organisms. Once again, sexual reproduction isn't
restricted to animals: this system is also employed by various plants, fungi, and
even some very forward-looking bacteria!

05
of 08

A Blastula Stage of Development

 MedicalRF.com / Getty Images

This one is a bit complicated, so pay attention. When a male's sperm encounters a
female's egg, the result is a single cell called a zygote; after the zygote undergoes a
few rounds of division, it's called a morula. Only true animals experience the next
stage: the formation of a blastula, a hollow sphere of multiple cells surrounding
an inner fluid cavity. It's only when cells are enclosed in a blastula that they start
differentiating into different tissue types, as described in slide #4. (If you're
interested in further study, or if you're just a glutton for punishment, you can also
explore the blastomere, blastocyst, embryoblast and trophoblast stages of
embryonic development!)

06
of 08

Motility (The Ability to Move)

 bucky_za / Getty Images

Fish swim, birds fly, wolves run, snails slide, and snakes slither--all animals are
capable of movement at some stage in their life cycles, an evolutionary innovation
that allows these organisms to more easily conquer new ecological niches, pursue
prey, and evade predators. (Yes, some animals, like sponges and corals, are
virtually immobile once they're fully grown, but their larvae are capable of
movement before they become rooted to the sea floor.) This is one of the key
traits that distinguishes animals from plants and fungi, if you ignore relatively
rare outliers like venus flytraps and fast-growing bamboo trees.

07
of 08

Heterotrophy (The Ability to Ingest Food)

 Juan De Dios Sanchez / EyeEm

All living things need organic carbon to support the basic processes of life,
including growth, development, and reproduction. There are two ways to obtain
carbon: from the environment (in the form of carbon dioxide, a freely available
gas in the atmosphere), or by feeding on other carbon-rich organisms. Living
organisms that obtain carbon from the environment, like plants, are called
autotrophs, while living organisms that obtain carbon by ingesting other living
organisms, like animals, are called heterotrophs. However, animals aren't the
world's only heterotrophs; all fungi, many bacteria, and even some plants are at
least partially heterotrophic.

08
of 08

Advanced Nervous Systems

 SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI / Getty Images

Have you ever seen a magnolia bush with eyes, or a talking toadstool mushroom?
Of all the organisms on earth, only mammals are sufficiently advanced to possess
more-or-less acute senses of sight, sound, hearing, taste and touch (not to
mention the echolation of dolphins and bats, or the ability of some fish and
sharks to sense magnetic disturbances in the water using their "lateral lines.").
These senses, of course, entail the existence of at least a rudimentary nervous
system (as in insects and starfish), and, in the most advanced animals, fully
developed brains--perhaps the one key feature that truly distinguishes animals
from the rest of nature.