An 

exoskeleton is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal
skeleton (endoskeleton) of, for example, a human. Some animals, such as the tortoise, have both an endoskeleton
and an exoskeleton. In popular usage, many of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells".

Mineralized exoskeletons first appeared in the fossil record about 550 million years ago, and their evolution is
considered by some to have played a role in the subsequent Cambrian explosion of animals.[citation needed]

An endoskeleton is an internal support structure of an animal, composed of mineralized tissue. In three phyla and

one subclassof animals, endoskeletons of various complexity are found:Chordata, Echinodermata, Porifera,
and Coleoidea. An endoskeleton may function purely for support (as in the case ofsponges), but often serves as an
attachment site for muscle and a mechanism for transmitting muscular forces. A true endoskeleton is derived
from mesodermal tissue. Such askeleton is present in echinoderms and chordates. The poriferan 'skeleton' consists of
microscopic calcareous or siliceous spicules or a spongin network. The Coleoidae do not have a true endoskeleton in
the evolutionary sense; here, a mollusc exoskeleton evolved into several sorts of internal structure, the "cuttlebone"
of cuttlefish being the best-known version. Yet they do have cartilaginous tissue in their body, even if it is not
mineralized, especially in the head, where it forms a primitive cranium.

- Intracellular- food is broken down when it is in the cell (engulfed by phagocytosis), nutrients are
absorbed. 
Done by sponges
- Extracellular- food is broken down (with help of enzymes?) before nutrients are absorbed by/into
cells. 
Done by most mammals, simple animals (such as flat worms) have a gastrovascular cavity, more
complex mammals (such as humans) have an alimentary canal. 
In humans is takes place in different compartments (stomach, small intestine).
Extracellular dig. allows mammals to consume larger prey. 

Extracellular digestion is that in which food breaking into utile molecules that can be
internalized by the cell is done in the extracellular space, i.e., outside the cell. In
extracellular digestion, the cells secret substances that break big molecules into smaller
ones in the external environment. Later the cell can benefit from these products of
digestion.

Intracellular digestion, or cellular digestion, is the breaking in the interior of the cell of big
molecules coming from outside or even from its own cell metabolism into smaller molecules.
Products and residues of the intracellular digestion are used by the cell or excreted.

Intracellular digestion is classified into two types: heterophagic intracellular digestion and
autophagic intracellular digestion.

Full grown it looks like a peach colored version of what you would find if you dug up your yard. This
has a pic www.marvistavet.com The animal can pick up roundworms through it's environment usually
 when grooming from infected worm eggs, it can also get it from something it ate usually rodents, it
can get it from it's mother in the womb or by nursing if she has them. 

The size of roundworms ranges from microscopic to as long as 3.3 feet (1 meter). Most
roundworms have a hard, sharp spear on their head, and some have bristles on the head. The
body of roundworms is protected by a flexible but strong, grooved body covering. A layer
beneath this covering releases fluids that harden to form the covering. The body has three tissue
layers and a fluid-filled false body cavity, meaning the cavity is between the inner and middle
layers rather than the middle layer and the outer layer, as it is in complex animals. The sensing
system of roundworms is made up of holes behind, or in some cases on, the lips.

Read more: Roundworms: Adenophorea - Physical

Characteristics http://animals.jrank.org/pages/1551/Roundworms-Adenophorea-PHYSICAL-
CHARACTERISTICS.html#ixzz0lN8zZ5vs

Obelia live in oceans throughout the world. Though they may appear to be plants they are, in fact, animals. Obelia
are members of the Cnidaria phylum, which includes jellyfish, corals, and sea anemones. Obelia have two distinct
stages to their life cycle. The first is the polyp stage. The second is the medusa stage.

Asexual Reproduction
1. Obelia live in colonies made up of stem-like polyps that are attached to rocks and other ocean substrate
using filaments that resemble roots. The polyps can reproduce by budding, creating a tree-like structure as it grows,
adding new polyps over time.

Types of Polyps
2. There are two types of polyps in an Obelia colony. Gastrozooids are used primarily for feeding and possess
stinging tentacles around a mouth to gather and eat food. All gastrozooids within a colony are interconnected by a
single gastrovascular cavity.

The colony also has polyps known as gonozooids, the sexual reproductive portion of the colony.

Sexual Reproduction
3. Each gonozooid will asexually produce tiny jellyfish known as medusae. They are shaped in the classic
jellyfish form, with a swimming bell and trailing tentacles. The medusae will bud off from the parent. When mature
they are dispersed into the open ocean.

Medusa Mating Stage

4. The medusae are free swimming. They may be either male or female, possessing reproductive organs that
produce either eggs or sperm. Both eggs and sperm are released into the water. The sperm is motile, using flagella
for locomotion. The sperm seek out the eggs and fuse to them, forming a zygote.

Zygote/Planula Stage
5. The zygote grows into an embryo, eventually becoming a planula, a ciliated, free-swimming larva. Each
planula will eventually attach itself to rocks or other substrate and continue to grow, eventually developing into a
polyp.

Polyp Development
6. The polyp will then produce more polyps as it grows. Some will differentiate into gastrozooids, allowing
the colony to feed. Others will form gonozooids that will eventually produce more medusae that will be released to
mate, completing the life cycle.

There are about 9,000 trematode species--also known as flukes--that have been described. All are parasitic.
Mammals are host to the adults of most species. They are members of the scientific phylum Platyhelminthes, which
includes various types of flatworms. 

Trematodes have complex life cycles. The larvae stage of the trematode acts as a parasite to different species that the
adult trematode will use as host. Among the most recognized trematodes are the liver fluke and the blood fluke, both
of which are parasites of humans.

Eggs
1. The adult fluke, living in the organ of a mammal specific to its species, will release immature eggs that are
passed from the body in the stool. The eggs develop in water and each egg releases a larva that seeks out a snail as
an intermediate host. Rather than living in an organ, the blood fluke lives within the blood vessels of its host. Eggs
are passed into the blood vessels until they find their way to the host's tissue and are passed from the body in urine
or stool. Female flukes may discharge up to 300 eggs per day, depending upon species.

Larvae
2. Within the snail, the fluke will go through several stages of development, including the sporocyst stage. In
this stage, cells begin dividing to produce additional sporocysts that will develop into larvae. Eventually, the
parasitic larvae will emerge from the snail and will enclose themselves in a cyst on a surface in the water. The blood
fluke does not go through this part of the cycle.

Infection
3. A mammal will eat the vegetation, including the cyst. After ingestion, the larvae will leave the cyst and
migrate through the intestinal wall to the organ where its specific species lives. Development will continue to the
adult stage within the organ. From ingestion to maturity usually takes 3 to 4 months. Again, the exception is the
blood fluke. Blood flukes emerge from the snail and seek out their primary host, penetrating the skin and finding
their way to the bloodstream.

Adult
4. The adult fluke will be flat and leaf-shaped with an unsegmented body. It will live in the organ of the
mammal that is specific to its species. Blood flukes live in the veins, attaching themselves to the blood vessel walls.

Reproduction
5. Most trematode species are hermaphroditic, meaning both sexes are contained in one individual fluke and
the individual performs self-fertilization. An exception is the blood fluke. In this species, the male and female attach
permanently and mate for life.

The egg is a tiny, round, oval, or

cylindrical object, usually with fine
ribs and other microscopic structures.
The female attaches the egg to leaves,
stems, or other objects, usually on or
near the intended caterpillar food.
 The caterpillar (or larva) is the long, worm-like stage
of the butterfly or moth. It often has an interesting
pattern of stripes or patches, and it may have spine-like
hairs. It is the feeding and growth stage. As it grows, it
sheds its skin four or more times so as to enclose its
rapidly growing body.
The chrysalis (or pupa) is the transformation stage
within which the caterpillar tissues are broken down
and the adult insect's structures are formed. The
chrysalis of most species is brown or green and blends
into the background. Many species overwinter in this
stage.
The adult (or imago) is colorful butterfly or moth
usually seen. It is the reproductive and mobile stage for
the species. The adults undergo courtship, mating, and
egg-laying. The adult butterfly or moth is also the
stage that migrates or colonizes new habitats. The
butterfly pictured here is aMonarch, which is fairly
large in size. The Monarch's wingspan is 3 3/8 - 4 7/8
inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm).

Grasshoppers, also known as short-horned grasshoppers, are insects, belonging to the order Othoptera
and suborder Caelifera. They are brown or green in color, with dark spots on their body. There are
approximately 11,000 species of grasshoppers. Some notable characters of grasshoppers include strong
and big hind legs (used for jumping), short antennae (20-24 segments, less than body length) and short
ovipositors (organ used for laying of eggs). 

Grasshoppers are flying insects that possess two pairs of wings, the fore and the hind wings. The fore
wings are narrow and leathery, whereas the hind wings are larger and membranous. Usually, female
grasshoppers are larger in size than the males. Another feature of female grasshoppers is the presence
of two pairs of triangular structures (valves) at the end of the abdomen, which they use for digging the
sand during egg laying. In case of male grasshoppers, there is presence of a single unpaired plate. 

Grasshoppers are herbivores and generally feed on plants. Some species of grasshopper eat only grass.
Grasshoppers are found abundantly in autumn; however, they can also be present in spring and summer
seasons. Let's take a look in brief about the life cycle of grasshoppers. 

Life Cycle of a Grasshopper

In general, reproduction takes place in early summer. During mating, the male grasshopper deposits the
spermatophore that contains sperms, into the ovipositor of the female. As the sperms enter the
micropyles, fertilization of the eggs occurs. Following are the three stages in the life cycle of
grasshoppers. 

Egg: By mid-summer, the female grasshoppers lay the fertilized eggs in the form of egg pods, usually
more than ten, either in the sand or among leaf litters. Each egg pod consists of about 10-300 eggs that
are rice shaped. The life cycle of grasshoppers starts from the egg stage. The eggs remain dormant in
autumn and winter seasons, for almost ten months. By spring or early summer, the eggs hatch into
nymphs. 

Nymph: Immediately after hatching, the young nymphs (first instar nymphs) start feeding on soft and
succulent plant foliages. Nymphs are miniature versions of adult grasshoppers, except that they are light
in color and do not possess wings. Nymphs undergo 5-6 molts and change their form and structure,
before becoming adults. The nymphal stage may last for a period of 5-10 days, based on the species and
the weather condition, especially temperature and humidity. As the nymphs molt, their size increases and
wing pads progressively develop on the thorax portion of the body. 

Adult: After 25-30 days, the wings are developed completely and the nymphs mature into adults. Thus,
by the time, an egg matures into an adult, the grasshopper is about eleven months old. The adult
grasshoppers gain sexual maturity within 15 days and survive for a span of about 30 days. 

The life span of grasshoppers is about 12 months. Studies have found out that the survival rate of
nymphs after hatching is about 50 percent, as chances are high that they may be eaten by predators
like birds, rodents and lizards. This way, grasshoppers play a major role in the effective functioning of an
ecosystem, by providing food for many predators in the food chain. A swarm of grasshoppers, also known
as locusts, might cause severe damages to the crops, affecting the crop yield