Animals are a major group of organisms, classified as the kingdom Animalia or Meta­zoa. In general they are multi­cellular, capable of locomotion, responsive to their environment, and feed by consuming other organisms. Their body plan becomes fixed as they develop, usually early on in their development as embryos, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on.

The word "animal" comes from the Latin word animal, of which animalia is the plural, and ultimately from anima, meaning vital breath or soul.

Characteristics

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Animals have several characteristics that set them apart from other living things. Animals are eukaryotic and usually multicellular (although see Myxozoa), which separates them from bacteria and most protists. They are heterotrophic, generally digesting food in an internal chamber, which separates them from plants and algae. They are also distinguished from plants, algae, and fungi by lacking cell walls.

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Orlando Sentinel- Orlando news, sports and more

Red, Hot & Boom late but colorful; woman in crowd injured by fireworks
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:05:00 -0400
An estimated 165,000 people braved the steamy weather Friday night to attend the 14th annual Red, Hot & Boom, Central Florida's biggest Fourth of July celebration.
Overflow crowd attends funeral for Michael Grady | Photos
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:00:00 -0400
A community came to mourn a hero Friday, parents and children paying their final respects to a man who sacrificed his life to save his son.
Steve McNair found dead in Nashville
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:10:00 -0400
A person with knowledge of the situation says Steve McNair has been shot and killed.

Miami Today News

Slot machines seen as next Miami International Airport cash cow
Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0000
Las Vegas-style slot machines could be on the horizon at Miami International Airport. Installing 1,000 slots in concourses could generate $17 million to $20 million a year, county documents say.
Wachovia seals deal as Miami-Dade banker indefinitely
Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0000
Miami-Dade County could be bound to Wachovia as its primary bank for the next few decades after wrapping up terms Tuesday for a letter of credit to back a portion of the financing for a new Marlins ballpark.
BankUnited headquarters could be on way out of Coral Cables
Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:00:00 -0000
BankUnited's new owners could be seeking a new home for the thrift's Alhambra Circle headquarters.

MiamiHerald.com: Florida

Girl killed by python was asphyxiated
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:01:00 -0400
(AP) -- Asphyxiation was listed to be the preliminary cause of death of the little girl killed by a Burmese python Wednesday in Central Florida.
No one wins three big payoffs
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:01:00 -0400
Wednesday was a bad night for lottery players -- no tickets won the top prizes in the Florida Lotto, Fantasy 5 or multistate Powerball drawings.
South Florida water shortage ended
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:01:00 -0400
Back-to-back wet months have washed away South Florida's water shortage. Conservation areas that make up much of the Everglades are brimming. Ground water supplies have recharged, even in South Miami-Dade County where wells ran dangerously low three months ago. The vast water barrel known as Lake Okeechobee is now right where water managers want it, and is actually just a tad high.

Daytona Beach News-Journal Online

Petty, president, historic victory define NASCAR
By GODWIN KELLY, Motorsports Editor Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
DAYTONA BEACH -- Richard Petty beat Cale Yarborough by the width of his front bumper to win the 1984 Firecracker 400 and score his 200th career victory with President Ronald Reagan watching from a VIP suite.
Regardless of recession, fans race to track, drivers
By DEBORAH CIRCELLI, Staff Writer Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
DAYTONA BEACH -- Fans swarmed NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth as if he was a rock star Friday as he made his way outside the Daytona 500 Experience to have prints of his hands and one foot permanently cast in the Daytona 500 Champion's Walk of Fame.
TV's McDreamy offers excitement for star-struck fans
By DEBORAH CIRCELLI, Staff Writer Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0500
DAYTONA BEACH -- Shyly grinning and barely able to speak, 8-year-old Sydney Thornton of Georgia got an autograph Friday from actor and race car driver Patrick Dempsey.

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