1. KEY CONCEPT Animals are diverse but share common characteristics.

2. Animals are the most physically diverse kingdom of organisms.
Animals range in size from 25-meter-long blue whales to microscopic rotifers.
Animals are found nearly everywhere on Earth.

3. All animals share a set of characteristics.
All animals share a unique set of derived characters.
Animal cells are supported by collagen.
three-stranded protein
found in bone, skin, ligaments, fingernails, and hair

4. Animals are diploid and usually reproduce sexually.
diploid parents produce diploid offspring
do not have free-living haploid life stages
Diploid cells have two copies of each chromosome: one copy from the mother and one from the father

5. Most animals have Hox genes.
Homeotic genes control early development.
Hox genes (a group of homeotic genes) define the head-to-tail pattern of development in animal embryos.
A Hox gene mutation leads to the development of a body structure in the wrong position.

6. Animal Characteristics Children’s Book