Animal

Animalia Temporal range: Cryogenian – Present fossil range 670–0 mya
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Clade:	Amorphea
Clade:	Obazoa
(unranked):	Opisthokonta
(unranked):	Holozoa
(unranked):	Filozoa
Kingdom:	Animalia Linnaeus, 1758
Phyla
List of animal phyla Porifera Subkingdom Eumetazoa Ctenophora Placozoa Cnidaria †Trilobozoa Bilateria (unranked) Xenacoelomorpha †Proarticulata Nephrozoa (unranked) Superphylum Deuterostomia Echinodermata Hemichordata Chordata Protostomia (unranked) Superphylum Ecdysozoa Nematoda Nematomorpha Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Onychophora Arthropoda Tardigrada Spiralia (unranked) Gnathifera (unranked) Gnathostomulida Chaetognatha Rotifera Mesozoa (unranked) Dicyemida Monoblastozoa Orthonectida Rouphozoa (unranked) Gastrotricha Platyhelminthes Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Annelida Bryozoa Brachiopoda Cycliophora Entoprocta Mollusca Nemertea Phoronida
Synonyms
Metazoa

Animals (or Metazoa) are living creatures with many cells. Animals get their energy from other living things. Usually, they eat them or are parasites. Animals, plants, fungi, and some other living things have complex cells, so they are grouped together as eukaryotes.

The study of animals is called zoology.^[1][2][3] The study of ancient life is called palaeontology.

Most animals are mobile, meaning they can move around. Animals take in oxygen, and give out carbon dioxide.^[4] This cellular respiration is part of their metabolism (chemical working). In both these ways they are different from plants. Also, the cells of animals have different cell membranes to other eukaryotes like plants and fungi.

Plants are also multicellular eukaryotic organisms, but live by using light, water and basic elements to make their tissues.

1. ↑ Alexander, R. McNeill 1990. Animals. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-34865-X
2. ↑ Ville C.A; Walker W.F. & Barnes R.D. 1984. General zoology. Saunders
3. ↑ Hamilton, Gina. Kingdoms of life – Animals. Lorenz Educational Press. ISBN 978-1-4291-1610-7
4. ↑ Cresswell, Julia 2010. The Oxford Dictionary of word origins. 2nd ed, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-954793-7 'having the breath of life', from anima 'air, breath, life'.