Animal classification is a major part of understanding life forms. The study of different animals and their life cycles have led scientists to giant leaps forward in many fields like, biology, and anatomy, just to name a few. Studying the differences among animals gives humans the ability to understand life from its basic forms. Invertebrates and vertebrates easily make up the most complex and beautiful animals in our world. An understanding of how they form, evolve and reproduce is essential to many tasks in the field of scientific inquiry. From the highest and most respected labs in cancer research to the highly respected zoology labs to the smaller classroom labs of local schools to the everyday problem solver and logical thinker a basis for understanding invertebrates and vertebrates is crucial. Without it our society would be very different, fields like medicine and psychology would be almost nonexistent. To further understand the difference between these organisms it is important to note characteristics both common and uncommon among them, I have in the following paragraph written a synopsis of these differences to reveal what this lab report serves to investigate.
Animal classification sorts out similarities and differences between animals as a means of placing animals in groups and then breaking those groups into subgroups. The whole process creates a hierarchy in which the large high-level groups sort out more obvious differences, while the low-level groups deal with more subtle differences. This labeling allows scientists to describe evolutionary relationships, identify shared traits, and highlight unique characteristics through the various levels of animal groups and subgroups. One of the most basic criteria used to sort animals is whether or not they possess a backbone. This single trait places an animal into one of just two groups: the vertebrates or the invertebrates and represents a monumental division among all animals. To classify an animal we should first aim to determine whether it is an invertebrate or a vertebrate, then we can understand its place within the animal world. What are Vertebrates? Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata) are animals that possess an internal skeleton or a backbone made up of a column of vertebrae. The Subphylum Vertebrata is a group within the Phylum Chordata which means they posses characteristics of all chordates. Chordates are known for having: bilateral symmetry, body segmentation, endoskeleton (bony or cartilaginous), pharyngeal pouches (present during some stage of development), complete digestive system, ventral heart, closed blood system, and a tail (at some stage of development.)In addition to these traits, vertebrates possess one additional trait that makes them unique among chordates, the presence of a backbone. There are a few groups of chordates that do not possess a backbone, these organisms are not vertebrates and are instead referred to as invertebrate chordates. The animal classes that are vertebrates include: Jawless fish (Class Agnatha), Armored fish (Class Placodermi) – extinct, Cartilaginous fish (Class Chondrichthyes), Bony fish (Class Osteichthyes), Amphibians (Class Amphibia), Reptiles (Class Reptilia), Birds (Class Aves), and Mammals (Class Mammalia)
Invertebrates include a broader collection of animal groups, they do not belong to a single subphylum like the vertebrates all of which lack a backbone. Some of the animal groups that are invertebrates include: Sponges (Phylum Porifera), Jellyfish, hydras, sea anemones, corals (Phylum Cnidaria), Comb jellies (Phylum Ctenophora), Flatworms (Phylum Platyhelminthes), Molluscs (Phylum Mollusca), Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda), Segmented worms (Phylum Annelida), and Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata)
The overall differences between invertebrates and vertebrates can become more complex, but the primary differences exist in my former paragraph which serves not as a strict guide line or an all inclusive essay but as a brief comparing and contrasting analysis. The purpose of this overview was to familiarize the reader with the differences as this Lab report stands to review the structures common and uncommon among them.