Intro to Zoology/Glossary

Terms used in the Introduction to Zoology.

• autotroph/autotrophic is an organism that can make it's own food using sunlight or other processes from inorganic materials.
• cartilage is a fibrous tissue usually acting as a support structure in an animal's body. In many bony animals it is present in the embryo or young animal and is replaced by bone as the organism grows and matures. In humans, it is the support for the external ear. It is primarily made up of chondroitin sulphate.
• heterotroph/heterotrophic means an organism that must rely on other organisms (living or dead plants or other animals) to provide the energy for life.
• multicellular organisms have more than one cell comprising their body.
• sense organs are organized parts of the animal body that can take in information from the environment.
• zoology is the branch of biology that includes the study of animals and animal life.