Why is Vertebrate so important?

Why is Vertebrate so important?

Vertebrates are adapted to life underground, on the surface, and in the air. They feed upon plants, invertebrate animals, and one another. Vertebrate faunas are important to humans for food and recreation.

What is a vertebrate in humans?

Vertebrae are the 33 individual bones that interlock with each other to form the spinal column. The vertebrae are numbered and divided into regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx (Fig. 2). Only the top 24 bones are moveable; the vertebrae of the sacrum and coccyx are fused.

Why do humans have flexible backbone?

It keeps us upright and connects the different parts of our skeleton to each other: our head, chest, pelvis, shoulders, arms and legs. Although the spine is made up of a chain of bones, it is flexible due to elastic ligaments and spinal disks. The length of someone’s spine depends on their height.

Why are vertebrates important to humans and the environment?

In particular, vertebrates are known to be essential for the reproduction of some economically important crop species, including dragon fruit, durian and Parkia – often known as ‘stink’ beans.

What is the importance of vertebrates and invertebrates?

Like vertebrates, invertebrates play important roles in our ecosystem, though invertebrates are often overlooked. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies and beetles aid in the reproduction of 80% of the world’s flowers and without them our food system would collapse.

Why is the spine important?

Your spine, or backbone, is your body’s central support structure. It connects different parts of your musculoskeletal system. Your spine helps you sit, stand, walk, twist and bend. Back injuries, spinal cord conditions and other problems can damage the spine and cause back pain.

What is the importance of backbone to the vertebrates?

The major function of the vertebral column is protection of the spinal cord; it also provides stiffening for the body and attachment for the pectoral and pelvic girdles and many muscles.

Why is the backbone or spine of vertebrates so important?

The spinal column has two vital jobs. The strong, flexible system of bones enables you to stand upright. And the circular vertebrae surround and protect your spinal cord — a network of nerves that carries messages from your brain to the rest of your body.

Can your spine snap?

The most common type of spine fracture is a vertebral body compression fracture (Fig. 2). Sudden downward force shatters and collapses the body of the vertebrae. If the force is great enough, it may send bone fragments into the spinal canal, called a burst fracture.

What are the economic importance of vertebrates?

Apart from conservation concerns, many vertebrates are of major economic importance because they support commercial and recreational activities (e.g. fisheries). Despite the high human interest, species identifications for many groups remain problematic.

Why is it important to know about vertebrates?

Additionally, most of our pets are vertebrates: birds, snakes, cats, dogs, etc. Human beings love their animal companions, and it’s important to understand them and their needs. Identify the common characteristics of chordates

How is a vertebrate classified as an animal?

“Vertebrates are animals that possess a vertebral column and/or notochord at any point in their lives.”. One of the ways life is classified is through the presence or absence of the vertebrate.

When did vertebrates first appear on the Earth?

Evidence of true vertebrates began to appear 525 million years ago and ever since then, vertebrates have branched off into a long lineage that includes armoured fish and giant sauropods to woolly mammoths and modern man. A vertebrate is an animal that has all of the following characteristic features at some point in its life:

Which is the best example of an extinct vertebrate?

The best-known extinct vertebrates are the dinosaurs, a unique group of reptiles, which reached sizes not seen before or after in terrestrial animals. They were the dominant terrestrial animals for 150 million years, until they died out in a mass extinction near the end of the Cretaceous period.