Knowra Invertebrate Invertebrate An invertebrate is an animal that lacks a vertebral column. The term groups animals by the absence of vertebrae rather than by a single shared body plan.
Arthropod : An invertebrate with jointed appendages, a segmented body, and an external skeleton. Arthropods are the most species-rich major invertebrate lineage.
Exoskeleton : A rigid external covering that supports and protects an animal's body. Arthropods use an exoskeleton for support instead of an internal backbone.
Pollination : The transfer of pollen to a plant's reproductive structures, enabling fertilization. Bees and other invertebrates pollinate many flowering plants and crops.
Vertebrate : An animal with a vertebral column, including fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Vertebrates are the animals excluded by the definition of invertebrate.
Mollusk : An invertebrate lineage that includes snails, clams, octopuses, and squids. Mollusks range from shelled grazers to highly capable predators.
Hydrostatic skeleton : A support system in which fluid pressure within a body cavity resists muscle contraction. Many soft-bodied invertebrates move by deforming fluid-filled bodies.
Silkworm : The domesticated larva of the silk moth, raised to produce silk. Silkworms demonstrate a direct economic use of an invertebrate life cycle.
Chordate : An animal belonging to the phylum Chordata, defined by traits including a notochord at some life stage. Some chordates, such as tunicates, lack vertebrae and are invertebrates.
Annelid : A segmented worm belonging to the phylum Annelida. Annelids illustrate segmentation without the jointed limbs of arthropods.
Molting : The shedding and replacement of an animal's outer covering as it grows. Arthropods must shed rigid exoskeletons to increase in size.
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