Cnidaria Platyhelmint Nematoda Mollusca Annelida Arthropoda Echinoderm

Porifera
Feature (Jellyfish, hes (Roundworms (Soft (Ringed (Jointed ata (Spiny
(Sponges)
Corals) (Flatworms) ) Bodies) Worms) Feet) Skin)

Spiny skin,
Defining Stinging Soft bodies Segmente Jointed feet, water
Pore bearing Flat worms Thread worms
Characteristics cells (mantle) d exoskeleton vascular
system

Pentaradial
Asymmetrica Radial or
Symmetry Bilateral Bilateral Bilateral Bilateral Bilateral (larval
l biradial
bilateral)

Triploblasti
Germ Layers Diploblastic Diploblastic Triploblastic Triploblastic Triploblastic Triploblastic Triploblastic
c

Developmental Protostom Deuterostom

1 Node None None Protostome Protostome Protostome Protostome
e e

Pseudocoelom
Coelom Acoelomate Acoelomate Acoelomate Coelomate Coelomate Coelomate Coelomate
ate

Organ
Level of Organ system Organ system Organ Organ Organ
Cellular Tissue level system
Organization level level system level system level system level
level

Segmentation Absent Absent Absent Absent Absent Present Present Absent

Cephalization Absent Absent Present Present Present Present Present Absent

Nerve Brain, No brain,

Ganglia,2 Ganglia, nerve Ganglia,
Nervous None Nerve net cord, ventral nerve sensory
nerve cord cord nerve cord
ventral cord organs

Internal External
Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Hydrostatic Endoskeleton
Support spicules, (corals) or Hydrostatic Exoskeleton
skeleton skeleton skeleton (ossicles)
collagen none
 Circular
Contracting Well- Longitudinal Paired
Mantle, foot and Muscles in
Muscular None cells in developed layer of muscles with
muscles longitudinal tube feet
mesoderm longitudinal muscles tendons
muscles

Complete Complete Complete

Complete
Complete mouth- mouth- mouth-
No digestive Gastrovascu Incomplete mouth-
Digestive mouth- esophagus esophagus- esophagus-
cavity lar cavity gastrovascular stomach-
intestine-anus -intestine- intestine- stomach-
anus
anus anus anus

Gills in No system,
Diffusion Diffusion aquatic diffusion
Respiratory through Diffusion Diffusion Diffusion Gills or lungs through species, through tube
choanocytes cuticle, gills book lungs in feet and skin
terrestrial gills

Closed
Open system
Closed system system Open
with heart,
Circulatory None None None with heart, with 5 pairs circulatory None
blood
blood vessels of aortic system
vessels
arches

Nephridia or Green Diffusion

Flame cells Excretory
None None glands, through tube
Excretory filter body tubules and simple3 Nephridia
(diffusion) (diffusion) Malpighian feet and skin
fluids pores kidneys tubules gills

Sexual Sexual Sexual

Sexual
Asexual Asexual Mostly sexual, reproduction, reproductio reproduction,
reproduction
budding, budding, Sexual internal or distinct n, distinct distinct
Reproduction ,
sexual sexual reproduction external sexes, sexes, sexes,
metamorpho
reproduction reproduction fertilization external external external
sis
fertilization fertilization fertilization

Calcarea, Trilobita, Asteroidea,

Hydrozoa, Gastropoda, Oligochaet
Classes/Subph Hexactinellid Turbellaria, Chelicerata, Ophiuroidea,
Scyphozoa, Secernentea, Bivalvia, a,
yla for a, Trematoda, Myriapoda, Echinoidea,
Cubozoa, Adenophorea Cephalopod Polychaeta
Arthropoda Demospongi Cestoda Crustacea, Holothuroide
Anthozoa a, , Hirudinea
ae, Hexapoda a, Crinoidea
 Sclerospongi Polyplacoph
ae ora

Sessile as Life cycles Larvae of

Closest
adults, can include Trematoda, Cuttlefish- Important
related to
ciliated both asexual Cestoda, and Non-living intelligent decompos Burrowing
chordates,
Miscellaneous larvae attach polyps and Monogenea cuticle for and ers and and release
similar
to bottom of sexual resemble the support document sediment nutrients
embryonic
ocean/lake medusa planula larva learning aerators
development
then grow phases of Cnidaria

Terms Explained:
• Asymmetrical:
Means lacking any defined shape or symmetry. An example is a sponge, which doesn't have a clear left/right or top/bottom.
• Radial Symmetry:
Body parts are arranged around a central axis, like spokes on a wheel. Jellyfish and sea anemones exhibit this.
• Bilateral Symmetry:
The body can be divided into two mirror-image halves along a single plane. Most animals, including humans, have bilateral symmetry.
• Pentaradial Symmetry:
A variation of radial symmetry, where the body is arranged in five parts, common in adult echinoderms like starfish.
• Diploblastic:
Having two germ layers (embryonic tissue layers): the ectoderm (outer layer) and endoderm (inner layer). Cnidarians are diploblastic.
• Triploblastic:
Having three germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm (middle layer), and endoderm. Most animals, including flatworms, roundworms, and vertebrates,
are triploblastic.
• Protostome:
A major division of the animal kingdom where the blastopore (the first opening in the developing embryo) becomes the mouth. Includes mollusks,
annelids, and arthropods.
• Deuterostome:
A major division where the blastopore becomes the anus. Includes echinoderms and chordates.
• Acoelomate:
Lacking a true body cavity (coelom). Flatworms are acoelomates.
• Pseudocoelomate:
Having a "false" body cavity called a pseudocoelom, which is not completely lined by mesoderm. Roundworms are pseudocoelomates.
 • Coelomate:
Having a true body cavity (coelom) that is completely lined by mesoderm. Most complex animals, including annelids, mollusks, arthropods,
echinoderms, and chordates, are coelomates.
• Segmentation:
The division of the body into repeating segments. Annelids (segmented worms) and arthropods exhibit segmentation.
• Cephalization:
The concentration of nervous tissue and sensory organs at the anterior (head) end of the body.
• Hydrostatic Skeleton:
Support provided by fluid pressure within a body cavity. Common in soft-bodied animals like worms and jellyfish.
• Exoskeleton:
A hard, external skeleton that provides support and protection. Arthropods have exoskeletons.
• Endoskeleton:
An internal skeleton. Vertebrates have endoskeletons. In Echinoderms, the endoskeleton is made of ossicles.
• Choanocytes:
Flagellated cells unique to sponges that line the internal chambers and help filter food.
• Cnidocytes:
Stinging cells unique to cnidarians, used for defense and capturing prey.
• Ganglia:
Clusters of nerve cells that act as simple brains.
• Nephridia:
Excretory organs in invertebrates, similar to kidneys.
• Malpighian Tubules:
Excretory organs in insects and other terrestrial arthropods.
• Ossicles:
Small, calcareous plates that make up the endoskeleton of echinoderms.
• Water Vascular System:
A unique hydraulic system in echinoderms used for locomotion, feeding, and gas exchange.
• Larvae:
The immature form of an animal that undergoes metamorphosis to become an adult.
• Metamorphosis:
A significant change in body form during an animal's life cycle.
 • Germ Layers (Diploblastic/Triploblastic):
These refer to the primary layers of cells that form during embryonic development. They give rise to all the tissues and organs of the animal.
Diploblastic: Only two layers, the ectoderm (outer) and endoderm (inner). These animals have simpler body structures.
Triploblastic: Three layers: ectoderm, mesoderm (middle), and endoderm. This allows for more complex organ development.
• Protostome vs. Deuterostome:
These are major evolutionary branches based on differences in early embryonic development.
Protostome: "Mouth first." The first opening (blastopore) becomes the mouth.
Deuterostome: "Mouth second." The blastopore becomes the anus.
• Coelom (Acoelomate, Pseudocoelomate, Coelomate):
The coelom is a fluid-filled body cavity. It's crucial for organ development and support.
Acoelomate: No body cavity. The space between tissues is filled with parenchyma.
Pseudocoelomate: "False" coelom. The cavity is not completely lined by mesoderm.
Coelomate: "True" coelom. The cavity is completely lined by mesoderm.
• Parenchyma:
This is a general term for the functional tissue in plants and animals. In the case of acoelomates, it is the tissue that fills the space where a body
cavity would be in other animals.
• Sessile:
Means fixed in one place; not free-moving. Sponges are sessile as adults.
• Mantle:
A fold of tissue that covers the body of mollusks. It secretes the shell (if present) and often functions in respiration.
• Radula:
A rasping, tongue-like organ used by many mollusks for scraping food.
• Tube Feet:
Extensions of the water vascular system in echinoderms, used for locomotion, feeding, and gas exchange.
• Book Lungs:
Respiratory organs in arachnids (spiders, scorpions) that consist of stacked, plate-like structures.
• Green Glands:
Excretory organs in crustaceans, located at the base of the antennae.
• Malpighian Tubules:
Excretory organs in insects and other terrestrial arthropods, which remove metabolic wastes from the hemolymph (blood).
• Hemolymph:
The fluid that circulates within the open circulatory system of arthropods and mollusks; it's analogous to blood.