Animal

Animal is a class of living organism. Animals typically have specialized sense organs and nervous system. They feed on organic matter and respond to stimuli. In zoological nomenclature, especially for the purposes of the code, it includes Metazoa and protistan taxa.

Animals are biologically compelled to feed on plants or other animals because of their being unable to synthesize organic molecules from inorganic ones as the plants are able to do. Animals are typically distinguished from plants for their capacity to move around, except when they are too young, too old, too ill or suffering from some deformity. People commonly believe that animals are vertibrates, but the reality is that the great majority of them are invertebrates. There are some thirty phyla of invertebrate animals, but only one subphylum of vertebrates.

In common parlance, all living organism other than humans, are generally referred to as animals.

The word animal is also used by common people to refer to a mammal as opposed to a bird, reptile, fish, or insect. Metaphorically, it refers to a very cruel, violent, or repulsive person devoid of civilized behaviour or human attributes. With a modifier this word simply refers to a particular type of person or thing, such as 'political animal'. Animal qualities in human beings refer to the physical or instinctive characteristics of the flesh rather than the spirit or the intellect.

Nearby pages
Animal Cracker, Animal Heat, Animal Husbandry, Animal Life, Animal Magnetism, Animal Pole