A kingdom (
Animalia) of
living things which includes single- and multi-celled
organisms. Animals differ from
plants in several ways. They have
cells without
cellulose walls. They lack
chlorophyll and the capacity for
photosynthesis. They require more complex
food materials like
proteins. They are often more
complex organisms. They have the capacity for
spontaneous movement and can
respond rapidly to
stimulation.
Protozoa and
sponges are classified as animals, as are higher
life forms, like
humans,
apes,
dolphins, and
chipmunks, and everything in-between.
In general, people seem to like animals. We like to keep them as
pets, we like to see them in
zoos, we like to
crane our necks around in the car and take
pictures when we see them in the
wild. Many of us even like to
emulate them. For the most part, we like to see them do well and
thrive. The feeling is, of course, not
universal. Some people like to
kick them,
mutilate them,
abuse them. Some people pick a particular
species they don't like and try to
wipe them out.
What's this say about the
human species? Not much. There are
good and
bad examples of every animal.