vertebrate
Animal with backbone
A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone—the internal column of bones or cartilage that supports the body and protects the spinal cord.
Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are all vertebrates.
The term works as both noun and adjective: Vertebrate species face habitat loss worldwide.
Vertebrates contrast with invertebrates like insects, worms, and jellyfish.
Column of vertebrae
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- skullHead's bone casing
- ribcageBony chest enclosure
- cardiovascularOf heart and blood vessels
respiratory · digestive · endocrine · musculature · brain · heart · lungs · liver
Warm-blooded, milk-producing animal
- reptileCold-blooded scaled vertebrate
- amphibianDual-habitat cold-blooded vertebrate
- birdFeathered flying vertebrate
- fishGilled aquatic vertebrate
tetrapod · jawless · cartilaginous · bony · warm-blooded · cold-blooded · endothermic · ectothermic
Hard skeletal tissue
- cartilageFlexible connective body tissue
- calciumElement twenty, builds bones
- ossificationConversion to bone tissue
- endoskeletonBody's inner framework
osteocyte · ribs · femur · tibia · pelvis · clavicle · scapula · sternum
Range of life forms
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
- faunaAnimal life collectively
wildlife · habitat · terrestrial · aquatic · marine · freshwater · arboreal · population
Earliest Paleozoic period
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- homologyStructural similarity through descent
extinction · jawed · Archaeopteryx · dinosaur · ancestry · radiation · genomic · paleontology
backbone
Vertebral column, or courage
fins · wings · feathers · fur · scales · gills · lungs · tail · beak · teeth
spine
Column of vertebrae
cardiovascular · respiratory · digestive · endocrine · musculature · brain · heart · lungs · liver · kidneys
mammal
Warm-blooded, milk-producing animal
- reptileCold-blooded scaled vertebrate
- amphibianDual-habitat cold-blooded vertebrate
- birdFeathered flying vertebrate
fish · tetrapod · jawless · cartilaginous · bony · warm-blooded · cold-blooded · endothermic · ectothermic · primate
bone
Hard skeletal tissue
- cartilageFlexible connective body tissue
- calciumElement twenty, builds bones
- ossificationConversion to bone tissue
endoskeleton · osteocyte · ribs · femur · tibia · pelvis · clavicle · scapula · sternum · humerus
biodiversity
Range of life forms
- speciesFinest taxonomic rank
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
- conservationPreventing waste or loss
fauna · wildlife · habitat · terrestrial · aquatic · marine · freshwater · arboreal · population · ecosystem
Cambrian
Earliest Paleozoic period
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
- speciationFormation of distinct species
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
homology · extinction · jawed · Archaeopteryx · dinosaur · ancestry · radiation · genomic · paleontology · cladistics
- zoologymammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects
- biologycells, DNA, cell, biology, gene
- life formsorganisms, organism, lifeforms, animal, creatures
- living thingsplants, animals, animal, creature, birds
- biology termscell, DNA, genetics, genetic, evolution
- eukaryotesanimals, animal, nucleus, fungi, plants
vertebrateinvertebrate
Animal sans backbone
nonvertebrate · jellyfish · spineless · insect · mollusk
vertebratespineless
Lacking courage or resolve
invertebrate · jellyfish · gutless · weak-willed · cowardly
vertebrateinvertebrate
Animal sans backbone
arthropod · mollusk · annelid · cnidarian · echinoderm
- thoracic vertebraeTwelve spinal bones behind chest
- vertebral bodySpine segment's main mass
- caudal vertebraeSpinal bones of tails
- lumbar vertebraeBones of lower back
- vertebral columnSegmented axial skeletal structure
- vertebral discSpinal column's cushioning tissue
invertebrate, vertebrae, vertebra, vertebrates, vertebral, invertebrates, intervertebral