Vertebrates, Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles

Science

An egg with a shell and membrane to protect the embryo, like an egg laid by birds, reptiles, and mammals

Amniotic egg

An egg with a shell and membrane to protect the embryo, like an egg laid by birds, reptiles, and mammals. Amniotic egg. An amniotic egg is a type of egg that provides a protective environment for the developing embryo, allowing animals to live and reproduce on land.

A cold-blooded animal that can live both on land and in water, like a frog

Amphibian

A cold-blooded animal that can live both on land and in water, like a frog. amphibian. An amphibian is an animal that starts life in water and often moves to live on land as it grows.

A strong, flexible connective tissue found in skeletons

Cartilage

A strong, flexible connective tissue found in skeletons. Cartilage is a smooth tissue that cushions joints and supports some body structures.

An animal that has a tail, nerve cord, notochord, and throat slits at some point in its life

Chordate

An animal that has a tail, nerve cord, notochord, and throat slits at some point in its life. Chordate. A chordate is an animal group that typically has a backbone.

An animal whose body temperature depends on its environment

Ectotherm

An animal whose body temperature depends on its environment. Ectotherm. An ectotherm is an animal that relies on external sources, like the sun, to regulate its body temperature.

An animal that can generate heat to maintain a constant internal temperature

Endotherm

An animal that can generate heat to maintain a constant internal temperature. Endotherm. An endotherm is an animal that keeps its body warm by producing its own heat.

The breathing organ of aquatic animals

Gill

The breathing organ of aquatic animals gill. Gills are structures in fish and some aquatic animals that extract oxygen from water.

The respiratory organ that absorbs oxygen from the air and removes carbon dioxide from the blood

Lung

The respiratory organ that absorbs oxygen from the air and removes carbon dioxide from the blood. Lung. The lung is a vital organ that helps us breathe by exchanging gases with the environment.

A warm-blooded vertebrate whose young feed on milk produced by the mother

Mammal

A warm-blooded vertebrate whose young feed on milk produced by the mother. Mammal. Mammals are animals that have fur or hair and produce milk to feed their young.

A flexible, rod-like structure that runs along the upper part of a chordate’s body

Notochord

A flexible, rod-like structure that runs along the upper part of a chordates body. Notochord. The notochord is a supportive structure that helps define the body axis in developing animals like fish and amphibians.

A cold-blooded vertebrate with scaly skin that lays eggs

Reptile

A cold-blooded vertebrate with scaly skin that lays eggs. Reptile. A reptile is an animal that has a backbone, scaly skin, and usually lays eggs, and it depends on external heat to regulate its body temperature.

A ratio of the size of a model to the object it represents.

Scale

A ratio of the size of a model to the object it represents.. scale. In Science, scale helps us understand the relative size of things by comparing a smaller or larger version to the real object.

A gas-filled sac in bony fishes that helps them to control their swim depth

Swim bladder

A gas-filled sac in bony fishes that helps them to control their swim depth. Swim bladder. The swim bladder is an organ in fish that allows them to float at different water depths without using much energy.

The aquatic larva of a frog or toad

Tadpole

The aquatic larva of a frog or toad. Tadpole a young frog or toad that lives in water and looks like a fish before growing legs.

One of the heart’s two lower chambers, it pumps blood out of the heart

Ventricle

One of the hearts two lower chambers, it pumps blood out of the heart. Ventricle it's a part of the heart that helps push blood to the rest of the body.

Vertebrate explained in an easy to understand way.