what is an invertebrate?

Answer 1

An invertebrate is an animal (or other organism) that has no backbone. An example of an invertebrate is a sponge. Humans and other animals are vertebrates (because we have a backbone).

Answer 2

There are so many invertebrates on this planet that it is impossible to count them all. They come in many shapes and sizes, live practically anywhere and provide many services that are vital for our survival. Yet so many of us are unaware of what invertebrates are and what they do.


What is an invertebrate?
Flies, worms and spiders are a few examples of animals collectively known as invertebrates - animals without a backbone.

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Types of invertebrates
Invertebrate diversity is staggering. Of the planet's estimated 15-30 million animal species, more than 90% are invertebrates.

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Invertebrates are everywhere
Invertebrates live just about anywhere. They have been recorded in the driest of deserts through to the canopies of the wettest rainforests.

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Australian Invertebrates
It is estimated that Australia has 275 000 to 300 000 species of invertebrates that live on land.

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Answer 3

Another word for lawyer.

Actually, its any animal without a spinal column. If you have ever seen an x-ray or felt your back, you know there is a flexible column of stacked discs called vertebrae (singular: vertebra) running from the base of your head to your tailbone. All other mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and sharks have a spine too.

An invertebrate is any multicellular organism without one. Have you ever eaten lobster? No spine. Same story with sea sponges, jellyfish, crabs, spiders, ants, clams, grasshoppers etc. Anything that's gelatinous or has a hard exoskeleton (shell with no bones inside, like the lobster) is probably going to be an invertebrate. The scientific word for vertebrate is "chordate", or phylum "chordata".

Answer 4

Invertebrate is a term coined by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck to describe any animal without a spinal column. The group includes 97% of all animal species—all animals except vertebrates (fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals).

Lamarck followed Linnaeus' division of these animals into two groups, the Insecta and the Vermes, but they are now classified into over 30 phyla, from simple organisms such as sponges and flatworms to complex animals such as arthropods and molluscs.

Answer 5

any creature without a spine is an invertebrate- this includes mostly insects, worms, and sea creatures- clams, mollusks, shrimps, etc.

Answer 6

an invertibrate is a any multicellular organism without a vertibral coloumn.

Answer 7

It's an animal with no backbone