A first step to understanding individual animals, and in turn populations of animals, is to understand the relationship they have with their environment.

The environment in which an animal lives is referred to as its habitat. A habitat includes both biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components of the animals environment.

Abiotic (non living) components of an animal's environment include a huge range of characteristics, examples of which are:◦temperature◦humidity◦oxygen◦wind◦soil composition◦day length◦elevation

Biotic components of an animal's environment include such things as:◦plant matter◦predators◦parasites◦competitors◦individuals of the same species

Animals require energy to support the processes of life: ◦movement, foraging, digestion,

reproduction, growth, work.

Organisms can be categorized into one of the following 2 groups:- Autotrophs- Heterotroph

autotroph - an organism that obtains energy from sunlight (in the case of green plants) or inorganic compounds (in the case of sulfur bacteria)

heterotroph - an organism that use organic materials as a source of energy

Animals are heterotrophs, obtaining their energy from the ingestion of other organisms.

When resources are scarce or environmental conditions limit the ability of animals to obtain food or go about their normal activies, animals' metabolic activity may decrease to conserve energy until better conditions prevail.

The different types of metabolic dormancy or responses include:

torpor - a time of decreased metabolism and reduced body temperature in daily activity cycles

hibernation - a time of decreased metabolism and reduced body temperature that may last weeks or months

winter sleep - periods of inactivity during which body temperature does not fall substantially and from which animals can be awakened and become active quickly

aestivation - a period of inactivity in animals that must sustain extended periods of drying

Environmental characteristics (temperature, moisture, food availability, and so on) vary over time and location and animals are adapted to certain range of values for each characteristic. The range of an environmental characteristic to which an animal is adapted is called its tolerance range for that characteristic.

Within an animal's tolerance range is an optimal range of values at which the animal is most successful. Sometimes, in response to prolonged change in environmental characteristic, animals adjust to accommodate the change in its environment, and in doing so, its tolerance range shifts.

This shift in tolerance range that the animal experiences in response to an changed environment is called acclimation.

What is an Animal?What is an Animal?Hard question to answer Have to look at all the

characteristics ◦Identifying specific traits shared by

ALLL animals◦These characteristics help us determine

that whales, snails, horses and corals area all animals.

◦Help to build a framework of placing animals in subcategories that are more familar

Classification systemClassification systemBinomial system – everything has

2 namesClassification is

◦Kingdom◦Phylum◦Class◦Order◦Family◦Genus◦Species

Linnaeus system – Brown Linnaeus system – Brown SquirrelSquirrelKingdom (Animalia, or "animal")Phylum (Chordata, or "has a

backbone")Class (Mammalia, or "has a

backbone and nurses its young")Order (Rodentia, or "has a

backbone, nurses its young, and has long, sharp front teeth)

Brown squirrel…Brown squirrel…Family (Scuridae, or "has a

backbone, nurses its young, has long, sharp front teeth, and has a bushy tail)

Genus ( Tamiasciurus , or "has a backbone, nurses its young, has long, sharp front teeth, has a bushy tail, and climbs trees)

Brown squirrel…Brown squirrel…Species ( hudsonicus , or "has a

backbone, nurses its young, has long, sharp front teeth, has a bushy tail, and has brown fur on its back and white fur on its underparts)

Besides classification…Besides classification…There are seven characteristics

that all animals must have in order to be classified as an animal.

These items help us to declare that an animal is an animal and not a plant.

1. Eukaryotes or 1. Eukaryotes or ProkaryotesProkaryotesAll living organisims can be sorted

into a group based on their cell structure

They differ from each other in many microscopic ways

Eukaryotes Vs. Eukaryotes Vs. ProkaryotesProkaryotesEukaryotes Prokaryotes

-Linear DNA-DNA is attached to proteins and is organized into chromosomes-Have lots of membrane bound structures called organelles, which perform various functions in the cell-Cells are more complex and large

-Circular DNA-DNA is not associated with proteins or organized in chromosomes-No membrane bound structures-Smaller cells

Animals are Eukaryotes?Animals are Eukaryotes?YES!!! All animals are

eukaryotesRemember : not all eukaryotes

are animals! Plants and fungi are also

eukaryotes

2. Heterotrophs2. HeterotrophsAll living things need carbon to

support the basic processes of life such as growth, development and reproduction.

How do organisms get carbon?◦1. ingest other organisms and get

carbon from the organic materials that make up the other organism. This is an heterotroph.

◦OR…..

Animals are heterotrophsAnimals are heterotrophsThey can get from other living

organisms that are made up of carbon containing organic molecules.

Heterotroph – one that uses organic materials as a source of evergy for growth and development.

Green plants are autotrophs

3. Lots of cells around 3. Lots of cells around here!here!Animals are multi-cellularMost animals have bodies that

are divided into cell groups or tissues.

Tissues perform different functions.

What one animal has no tissue!!! They also don’t have muscles or nerves!

Hint!Hint!

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

Absorbant and yellow and porous is he!

SPONGES!!!SPONGES!!!They are the only “animal” in the

animal kingdom that does not have◦Tissue◦Nerves◦Muscles

4. Reproduction???4. Reproduction???Most animals reproduce sexually

◦Egg and sperm

◦Genetic material is passed between individuals

◦A few animals reproduce asexually.

5. Diploid5. DiploidMost animals are diploid

Diploid and haploid describes how many copies of genetic material are contained within a cell.

Diploid = 2 full sets of the cells genetic material

Haploid = 1 full set

6. Cell wall structure6. Cell wall structureAnimals do not have cell walls

Is your animal crunchy???

If they has rigid cell wall structure they would be. Instead we have cell membranes that hold the stuff together and are squishy.

7. Movement7. MovementUnlike plants, which are fixed to

the substrate in which they grow, most animals are motile (capable of movement).

One exception is again sponges, which are sedentary organisms.

Habitat loss around the

Habitat loss around the

world!world!

Habitat lossHabitat lossHabitat loss is a very serious

problem on our planet today. All animals have a habitat in

which they live, whether it's a vast rainforest or a tiny anthill.

They have food to eat and a safe place to sleep and raise their young.

Results of lossResults of lossThey compete for food with other

species and protect their habitat by being territorial or migrating from place to place to find more food.

Why?Why?When humans clear a forest for

farming or to build homes, whatever animals live in that forest lose their habitat.

This is a very serious threat for animals that have limited habitat.

It can lead to extinction.

Humans to blame?Humans to blame?As the human population

expands, more and more natural habitats are destroyed to make way for the needs of humans.

Fragmented habitats result, with some areas developed while others are left wild.

survivalsurvivalThe animals that survive may

move into the smaller fragments of their habitat.

This increases competition and stress in the remaining habitat.

It can result in some species dying out.

This decreases the biodiversity of the habitat