What is the basis of the classification of the Animal Kingdom? What is the difference between non-chordates and chordates? What is metameric segmentation? All the answers are written in simple and clear language by the subject experts in the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 4 Animal Kingdom. This chapter explains how all animals present on Earth are classified into different groups. The Animal Kingdom NCERT Class 11 PDF download helps students revise classification, body plans, and evolutionary features.
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Class 11 Biology Chapter 4 Animal Kingdom NCERT Solution includes detailed classification from Porifera to Chordata. All the important features, examples of the phyla, and diagrams are added. The solutions help students remember the differences between phyla easily. The step-by-step NCERT Solutions help students remember the differences between phyla easily and also improve conceptual clarity. Regular practice of the Animal Kingdom Class 11 questions and answers PDF strengthens preparation for competitive exams like NEET.
Students who need help with animal classification can read Chapter 4. It covers everything from sponges to mammals. Students can download the Animal Kingdom Class 11 questions and answers PDF from the link given below. Having ready-to-use solutions makes a big difference during preparation. The NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology are perfect for last-minute preparation or regular revision.
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Given below are the detailed solutions to all the questions given in the textbook. All the answers are prepared by subject experts, following the latest NCERT curriculum. Students can refer to the Class 11 Biology Chapter 4 Animal Kingdom question answer for better understanding.
Answer: Basic characteristics help group animals and indicate their differences. Animals lack cell walls and are heterotrophic; mammals and other groups have additional distinguishing features (e.g., mammary glands in mammals). Without common fundamental features:
It would be difficult to determine relationships among animals.
Classification would become confusing and inconsistent.
Understanding evolutionary history would be much harder.
In brief, these basic characteristics form the basis of animal classification and help us understand evolution.
Q2. If you are given a specimen, what are the steps that you would follow to classify it?
Answer: To identify an unknown specimen, look at these most important features:
Level of Organisation: Cells, tissues, or organs.
Body Symmetry: Radial or bilateral.
Germ Layers: Two (diploblastic) or three (triploblastic).
Body Cavity: Present or absent.
Coelom: True (coelomate), false (pseudocoelomate), or none (acoelomate).
Answer: The coelom and body cavities are important in the classification of animals. A coelom is a body cavity filled with fluid, lined by embryonic tissue.
Dividing animals into categories according to their coelom helps us to understand their development and evolutionary history.
Q4. Distinguish between intracellular and extracellular digestion.
Answer: The differences between intracellular and extracellular digestion are as follows
Characteristics | Intracellular Digestion | Extracellular Digestion |
Where Digestion Occurs | Inside cells | Outside cells, in the alimentary canal |
Number of Enzymes | Few enzymes | Many enzymes |
How Nutrients are Absorbed | Diffused into the cytoplasm | Absorbed across the intestinal wall into the body |
Common in | Unicellular animals | Multicellular animals |
Q5. What is the difference between direct and indirect development?
Answer: The differences between direct and indirect development are as follows
Direct Development | Indirect Development |
No larval stages | Includes larval stages |
Resemble adults | Don't resemble adults |
Fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals | Invertebrates, amphibians |
Q6. What are the peculiar features that you find in parasitic Platyhelminthes?
Answer: Platyhelminthes have several unique characteristics:
They have a thick tegument that shields them from the digestive enzymes of their hosts.
Their bodies are dorsoventrally flattened, i.e., flat from top to bottom.
They have suckers and hooks that help them stick to their hosts and obtain nutrition.
They lack well-developed locomotory organs; movement is by cilia and muscular action.
Their reproductive system is well developed, and they are mostly hermaphroditic, having both male and female reproductive organs.
Answer: The reasons for arthropods being the largest group of animals are as follows:
They have a thick cuticle that helps them to thrive in many types of environments, particularly on land.
They have striated muscles that help in rapid and effective movement.
They have a tracheal system of respiration that brings oxygen directly to their cells, which is extremely effective.
They possess joint appendages that are capable of performing numerous different functions, so they are very adaptable.
They have a highly developed nervous system and sense organs that help them effectively sense and react to their surroundings.
They communicate using pheromones, which help in social behavior and reproduction.
Q8. The water vascular system is characteristic of which group of the following:
(a) Porifera
(b) Ctenophora
(c) Echinodermata
(d) Chordata
Answer: The correct option is (c) Echinodermata
The water vascular system is a characteristic feature of echinoderms, which helps in locomotion, respiration, and the capture of food.
Q9. "All vertebrates are chordates, but all chordates are vertebrates." Justify the statement.
Answer: Phylum Chordata contains animals that have a notochord, i.e., an elastic rod-shaped structure. Phylum Chordata is still divided into three sub-phyla: Urochordata, Cephalochordata, and Vertebrata. In vertebrates, the notochord is superseded by a vertebral column, but within urochordates and cephalochordates, there is no vertebral column present. Therefore, all vertebrates are chordates, but they are not necessarily vertebrates, as they can also be urochordates or cephalochordates.
Q10. How important is the presence of an air bladder in Pisces?
Answer: Osteichthyes (bony fishes, such as salmon) have an air bladder, which keeps them buoyant and prevents them from sinking in water. It makes them remain at a specific depth without swimming continuously. Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes, such as sharks) do not have an air bladder. They need to swim continuously, employing their fins and body to remain afloat to avoid sinking.
The air bladder functions as a buoyancy support, whereas sharks survive using motion.
Q11. What are the modifications that are observed in birds that help them fly?
Answer: Birds have some adaptations that help them to fly:
Q12. Could the number of eggs or young ones produced by an oviparous and viviparous mother be equal? Why?
Answer: Oviparous creatures lay eggs outside the body and generally give birth to a greater number of offspring, as they are given little parental care and exposed to severe environmental conditions. Viviparous creatures, on the other hand, give birth to live offspring and offer care both pre- and post-birth. This greater parental care leads to greater survival rates, reducing the necessity for a high number of offspring. Thus, the number of eggs or young ones given birth to by oviparous and viviparous mothers is not the same.
Q13. Segmentation in the body is first observed in which of the following:
(a) Platyhelminthes
(b) Aschelminthes
(c) Annelida
(d) Arthropoda
Answer: The correct option is (c) Annelida
Q14. Match the following:
(a) Operculum (i) Ctenophora
(b) Parapodia (ii) Mollusca
(c) Scales (iii) Porifera
(d) Comb plates (iv) Reptilia
(e) Radula (v) Annelida
(f ) Hairs (vi) Cyclostomata and Chondrichthyes
(g) Choanocytes (vii) Mammalia
(h) Gill slits (viii) Osteichthyes
Answer: (a)-(viii), (b)-(v), (c)-(iv), (d)-(i), (e)-(ii), (f)- (vii), (g)- (iii), (h)- (vi)
| Operculum | (viii) Osteichthyes |
| Parapodia | (v) Annelida |
| Scales | (iv) Reptilia |
| Comb plates | (i) Ctenophora |
| Radula | (ii) Mollusca |
| Hairs | (vii) Mammalia |
| Choanocytes | (iii) Porifera |
| Gill slits | (vi) Cyclostomata and Chondrichthyes |
Q15. Prepare a list of some animals that are found parasitic on human beings.
Answer:
NCERT Solutions for Class 11: Subject-wise
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The approach to solving questions of the Animal Kingdom chapter involves a clear understanding. Students can follow the steps given below:
To understand the diversity of the animal kingdom, start with the classification of animals. Classification is based on features such as body symmetry, coelom, segmentation, etc.
Go through all the terms like asymmetry, radial symmetry, and bilateral symmetry provided in the Class 11 Biology Animal Kingdom question answer.
Prepare a table by writing down all the distinguishing features of phyla like Arthropoda, Mollusca, Chordata, etc.
Study the features of these phyla using diagrams. Students can go through the Class 11 Biology Chapter 4 Animal Kingdom question answer, which helps them to remember their characteristics for a longer time.
Try to solve a lot of questions from this chapter to gain confidence. Refer to the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 to get familiar with the pattern and difficulty level.
Classification of animals based on their body organisation, symmetry, and evolutionary relationships is covered in the chapter Animal Kingdom. Class 11 Biology Chapter 4 Animal Kingdom NCERT Solutions helps students understand the diversity of the animal world from simple organisms to complex chordates.
Basis of Classification of Animals
Levels of Organisation
Body Symmetry
Germ Layers
Segmentation
Notochord
Classification of Non-Chordates - Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annelida, etc.
Given below is a question from the Animal Kingdom chapter along with the answers. Focusing on the questions given in the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 4 Animal Kingdom helps to understand better.
Question 1: The following are the statements about non-chordates:
A. Gill slits perforate the pharynx.
B. Notochord is absent.
C. The central nervous system is dorsal.
D. Heart is dorsal if present.
E. Tail behind the body
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
1. A & C only
2. A, B & D only
3. B, D & E only
4. B, C & D only
Answer:
In invertebrates, the notochord, a defining feature of chordates, is absent, and their body structure is often supported by other means, like exoskeletons or hydrostatic skeletons. If a heart is present, it is typically located dorsally, unlike the ventral heart found in chordates. In addition, they lack a tail behind the body, which is a characteristic feature of chordates and plays a role in locomotion or balance in those organisms.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3, B, D & E only
Question 2: The body cavity is the cavity present between the body wall and the gut wall. In some animals, the body cavity is not lined by mesoderm. Such animals are called
1. Acoelomates
2. Pseudocoelomates
3. Coelomates
4. Haemo Coelomates
Answer:
Animals classified as pseudocoelomates have a fluid-filled bodily cavity known as a pseudocoelom that is not entirely lined by mesoderm tissue. The body cavity, the pseudocoelom, which divides the gut from the body wall, is situated between the mesoderm and the endoderm.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2, Pseudocoelomates
Question 3: Which one of the following sets of animals shares a four-chambered heart?
1. Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds
2. Crocodiles, Birds, Mammals
3. Crocodiles, Lizards, Turtles
4. Lizards, Mammals, Birds
Answer:
The heart is generally three-chambered in reptiles except crocodiles, which possess a four-chambered heart. The division in their heart is due to the incomplete interventricular septum in the ventricles. If we talk about the heart in birds and
mammals, it is four-chambered, and there is a complete division of the interventricular septum in the ventricles. Whereas, amphibians hold a three-chambered heart in which the ventricles are not separated; hence, two atria and one ventricle are present.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2, Crocodiles, Birds, Mammals
Question 4: In some animal groups, the body is divided into compartments with a serial repetition of at least some organs. This characteristic feature is called
1. Segmentation
2. Metamerism
3. Metagenesis
4. Metamorphosis
Answer:
The body in some animals is externally as well as internally separated into fragments with a serial repetition of at least some organs. This is called Metamerism. In other words, Metamerism is the condition of being constructed of a linear series of repeating parts. For example, in the earthworm, the body shows Metamerism.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2, Metamerism
Question 5: Given below are types of cells present in some animals. Which of the following cells can differentiate to perform different functions?
1. Choanocytes
2. Interstitial cells
3. Gastrodermal cells
4. Nematocytes
Answer:
Interstitial cells in the ovary and testes can differentiate. Interstitial cells refer to any cell that lies in the spaces between the functional cells of a tissue.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2, Interstitial cells
Question 6: Animals belonging to which of the following phyla possess a water vascular system?
1. Mollusca
2. Echinodermata
3. Cnidaria
4. Platyhelminthes
Answer:
A water vascular system is a unique characteristic feature of members of the Phylum Echinodermata. It helps in locomotion, food capture, and respiration. This system consists of fluid-filled canals and tube feet. No other phylum possesses this feature.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2, Echinodermata
Question 7: Which of the following is not a characteristic feature of the Phylum Arthropoda?
1. Jointed appendages
2. Chitinous exoskeleton
3. Closed circulatory system
4. Segmented body
Answer:
Arthropods have jointed appendages, a chitinous exoskeleton, and a segmented body. However, they possess an open circulatory system instead of a closed one. Therefore, closed circulation is not a characteristic of this phylum.
Hence, the correct answer is option 3, a closed circulatory system
Question 8: Which of the following phyla shows radial symmetry and a diploblastic level of organisation?
Porifera
Cnidaria
Annelida
Arthropoda
Answer:
Cnidarians exhibit radial symmetry and are diploblastic, meaning they have two germ layers - ectoderm and endoderm - with mesoglea in between. Porifera lack true tissues, while Annelida and Arthropoda are triploblastic and bilaterally symmetrical.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2, Cnidaria
Question 9: Which of the following animals is a triploblastic acoelomate?
Ascaris
Taenia
Earthworm
Cockroach
Answer:
Flatworms (Phylum Platyhelminthes) are triploblastic acoelomates, meaning they have three germ layers but no true body cavity. Taenia (tapeworm) belongs to this phylum. Ascaris is pseudocoelomate, while earthworm and cockroach are coelomates.
Hence, the correct answer is option 2, Taenia
The Animal Kingdom chapter introduces students to the wide diversity of multicellular animals. It explains the classification, such as symmetry, level of organisation, body cavity, and mode of nutrition.
Students learn unique features and representative examples of each phylum from Porifera to Chordata.
It will clear the difference between chordates and non-chordates in easy language.
The Class 11 Biology Animal Kingdom question answer teaches about levels of organisation (cellular to organ-system), germ layers (diploblastic vs. triploblastic), and types of symmetry.
They will understand acoelomate, pseudocoelomate, and coelomate conditions, and the importance of segmentation in groups like Annelida and Arthropoda.
Students study open and closed circulatory systems, as well as the digestive systems, through the Animal Kingdom Class 11 question answer.
The chapter Animal Kingdom introduces students to a large variety of animals and explains on what basis these animals are classified. The solutions explain different levels of organisation, symmetry, germ layers, and other animal phyla, along with their characteristics and examples.
Class 11 Biology Chapter 4 Animal Kingdom NCERT Solutions allow students to understand the animal kingdom basis of classification criteria used.
The solutions also help them identify the features of major animal phyla, from Porifera to Chordata.
It improves understanding of how animals survive in different environmental conditions.
Students also get a clear knowledge of notochord, body segmentation, and germ layers.
To do well in NEET, students should study extra topics and practice more beyond the NCERT. The extra topics that students have to study are given below. Along with this, they should practice the diagrams provided in the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 4 Animal Kingdom.
Below are the chapter-wise solutions by which students can easily understand all the concepts and perform well in the exams.
The updated NCERT Books Class 11 Biology and the complete NCERT Syllabus Class 11 Biology are provided below for direct access.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The Animal Kingdom includes multicellular, heterotrophic organisms classified based on body organisation, symmetry, germ layers, coelom, segmentation, and notochord.
Classification is based on features like body symmetry, presence of a coelom, and notochord. Animals are grouped into phyla such as Porifera, Arthropoda, and Chordata.
The differences between chordates and non-chordates in Class 11 NCERT solutions are given in the table below:
Feature | Chordates | Non-Chordates |
Notochord | Present at some stage | Absent |
Dorsal Hollow Nerve Cord | Present | Absent |
Pharyngeal Slits | Present at some stage | Absent |
Major phyla include Porifera, Coelenterata, Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Hemichordata, and Chordata.
The following list of animals found to be human parasites is taken from the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 Biology Chapter 4 Animal Kingdom:
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