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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NewsObserver.com - Home

Eno Festival kicks off the Fourth
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:50:51 -0500
About 200 performers and craftspeople have taken over the West Point on the Eno Park in Durham this weekend. One of many July 4th celebrations in the Triangle.
National Guard's losses leap in a flash
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:00:00 -0500
When the state National Guard's largest unit lost four soldiers in Iraq to a powerful bomb this week, its death toll in just six weeks exceeded its losses for an entire yearlong tour earlier in the war.
Killings have community locking doors, loading guns
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:00:00 -0500
Terrified South Carolina residents canceled Fourth of July plans and holed up in their homes Friday as investigators hunted a serial killer thought to have shot four people to death.
Doctors back weaker pain pills
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:54:32 -0500
Local doctors and researchers who have seen the affects of so-called Tylenol poisoning on the liver said they support the Food and Drug Administration's proposed new restrictions on acetaminophen.
Mental health program on chopping block
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:00:00 -0500
State legislators intend to phase out a program that had become a symbol of waste and inefficiency in North Carolina's troubled system of mental health care.
Palin's plan to quit stuns GOP
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:00:00 -0500
Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska abruptly announced Friday that she was quitting her job at the end of the month, shocking Republicans across the country and leaving both parties uncertain about whether she was leaving national politics or laying the groundwork for a presidential run.

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