uniT Extension The exoskeleton

1 Name:  Date:  Class: 

Can you imagine a human-sized spider?

Luckily, spiders of that size simply cannot exist. The
exoskeleton of an arthropod is very strong and resistant,
but in a human-sized animal, it would be so heavy that it
wouldn’t allow movement.
The joints of the exoskeleton are very flexible and they
allow the spider to make lots of different movements.

11 Complete the advantages and disadvantages of having an exoskeleton.

Advantages: 

Disadvantages:

Which of the following images looks like an exoskeleton? Why?

3 The exoskeleton of an arthropod doesn’t grow. Every time that it removes its exoskeleton, it
creates a new one. Investigate. What is this process called? Explain in your own words.

Natural Science 4. Unit 1 PHOTOCOPIABLE MATERIAL