Animals – Body, Movement and Animal Husbandry
Animals – Body, Movement and Animal Husbandry
Animals – Body, Movement and Animal Husbandry
Key idea: Animal body is built for movement, protection and survival. The same structures (bones, muscles, joints and tissues) are also the basis for domestic use of animals in farming, transport, milk, meat, egg, wool and fish production.
| Aspect | Key Features | Importance in Daily Life / Farming |
|---|---|---|
| Body organisation | Cells → Tissues → Organs → Organ systems → Animal | Understanding this helps to locate disease or injury in a particular organ or tissue |
| Support & protection | Skeleton gives shape, protects organs, anchors muscles | Healthy bones and joints are essential for work animals (bullocks, horses, buffaloes) |
| Movement | Bones + joints + muscles act like a system of levers | Enables grazing, searching for food, escaping predators and doing farm work |
| Animal tissues | Epithelial, connective, muscular and nervous tissues | Explain how body covers, supports, moves and responds to environment |
| Animal husbandry | Systematic care and breeding of cattle, poultry, fish, bees etc. | Provides milk, meat, eggs, fish, honey, employment and income to rural families |
| Reason (Why) | What Happens (How) | Outcome (Effect on Animal / Farmer) |
|---|---|---|
| Animals have strong skeleton and muscles | Body weight is supported, movement becomes efficient | Animals can work in fields, pull carts, graze and reproduce successfully |
| Systematic animal husbandry practices are followed | Proper housing, feeding, breeding and disease control are provided | Output of milk, eggs, meat, wool, fish and honey increases, improving farmer income |
Memory Line: In animals, “Support → Movement → Production” – Skeleton supports, muscles move, husbandry converts this into useful products.
Exam Tip: When a question links body structure with farming (like work animals, milch breeds), always connect skeleton + muscles + management, not only one factor.
Skeletal parts – Bones, Joints, Cartilage; muscles
Key idea: Bones, joints, cartilage and muscles form the locomotor system. Bones give rigid support, joints allow movement, cartilage provides smooth surface and muscles pull bones.
| Structure | Description | Role in Movement / Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Bones | Hard, living connective tissue, rich in calcium and phosphorus | Support body, protect organs (skull–brain, ribs–heart & lungs), act as levers for movement |
| Cartilage | Semi-rigid, flexible tissue; found in ear pinna, tip of nose, ends of long bones | Reduces friction at joints, acts as shock absorber |
| Ligaments | Tough bands connecting bone to bone | Hold bones together in a joint, give stability |
| Tendons | Strong bands connecting muscle to bone | Transmit pull of muscle to the bone to produce movement |
| Muscles | Contractile tissue, can shorten and relax | Move bones at joints; maintain posture and body temperature |
| Type of Joint | Example in Body | Movement Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Immovable joint | Skull bones | No movement, only protection |
| Hinge joint | Elbow, knee | Bending and straightening in one plane like a door |
| Ball and socket joint | Shoulder, hip | Movement in almost all directions |
| Pivotal joint | Between skull and first vertebra | Rotation of head side to side |
| Gliding joint | Between wrist and ankle bones | Small sliding movements in different directions |
| Reason (Why) | What Happens (How) | Outcome (Effect on Animal / Human) |
|---|---|---|
| Muscles are attached to bones by tendons | When muscle contracts, it pulls the bone | Bone moves at the joint, producing walking, running, chewing etc. |
| Cartilage covers bone ends at movable joints | Cartilage gives smooth, slippery surface | Friction and wear are reduced; joint moves smoothly |
Memory Line: Bones = Bars, Joints = Hinges, Muscles = Motors – together they form the movement machine.
Exam Tip: If the question mentions “bone to bone” link, answer is ligament. If it says “muscle to bone”, answer is tendon.
Exam Trap: Muscles can only pull, never push bones. Movement in opposite directions needs a pair of muscles (flexor and extensor).
Movements in animals
Key idea: Types of movement depend on habitat and body structure. Animals show locomotion (change of place) and internal movements (blood flow, gut movement).
| Animal / Group | Type of Movement | Structural Adaptation |
|---|---|---|
| Earthworm | Crawling by contraction and relaxation of body muscles, aided by tiny bristles (setae) | Segmented body, circular and longitudinal muscles, mucus secretion |
| Snail | Slow gliding movement | Muscular foot and secretion of slimy mucus to reduce friction |
| Fish | Swimming | Streamlined body, fins, tail and flexible backbone |
| Bird | Flying and walking | Light body, hollow bones, wings, powerful chest muscles |
| Human | Walking, running, grasping | Well developed limbs, opposable thumb, flexible vertebral column |
| Frog | Leaping on land and swimming in water | Long hind limbs, webbed feet, strong thigh muscles |
| Reason (Why) | What Happens (How) | Outcome (Effect on Survival) |
|---|---|---|
| Different habitats (land, water, air) | Body forms and limb structures evolve to suit the medium | Animals move efficiently to find food, mates and avoid enemies |
| Predator–prey relationship | Prey develop speed and hiding skills; predators develop strength and chasing abilities | Balance is maintained in ecosystem; only fit individuals survive and reproduce |
Memory Line: “Form fits function” – body shape of animal matches its main way of movement.
Exam Tip: When a question gives body features (webbed feet, streamlined body, hollow bones), first connect them to habitat, then to method of movement.
Animal Tissues
Key idea: Animal tissues are classified into four basic types – epithelial, connective, muscular and nervous. Each type has sub-types with special functions.
| Type of Tissue | Main Features | Examples / Functions |
|---|---|---|
| Epithelial tissue | Cells closely packed with little space; form linings and coverings | Skin, lining of mouth, blood vessels; protection, absorption, secretion |
| Connective tissue | Cells embedded in matrix; connect and support different parts | Bone, cartilage, blood, tendons, ligaments, adipose tissue |
| Muscular tissue | Elongated cells (muscle fibres) capable of contraction | Movement of limbs, heartbeat, gut movement |
| Nervous tissue | Neurons with long processes; conduct impulses | Brain, spinal cord, nerves; control and coordination |
| Muscle Type | Location | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Skeletal (striated) muscle | Attached to bones | Voluntary, fast, fatigues quickly, multi-nucleated fibres |
| Smooth (unstriated) muscle | Walls of stomach, intestine, blood vessels | Involuntary, slow, does not fatigue quickly |
| Cardiac muscle | Heart walls | Involuntary, rhythmic, does not fatigue easily, branched fibres |
| Reason (Why) | What Happens (How) | Outcome (Effect on Body) |
|---|---|---|
| Division of work among tissues | Each tissue specialises in a particular function | Body works efficiently and can maintain internal balance |
| Nervous tissue connects all body parts to brain and spinal cord | Nerve impulses are transmitted rapidly | Body responds quickly to changes in environment (stimuli) |
Memory Line: “Epi–cover, Connect–support, Muscle–move, Nerve–control” – four key words for the four tissue types.
Exam Tip: Questions often ask “Which tissue connects muscle to bone?” (tendon) or “Which tissue connects bone to bone?” (ligament) – both are connective tissues.
Food from Animals – Animal Husbandry (Cattle, Poultry, Aquaculture, Apiculture)
Key idea: Animal husbandry covers cattle farming, poultry farming, aquaculture and apiculture. It includes selection of breeds, housing, feeding, breeding and disease control to increase production of milk, meat, eggs, fish and honey.
| Field | Main Products | Key Practices |
|---|---|---|
| Cattle farming | Milk, draught power, dung as manure and fuel | Selection of good breeds, proper housing, balanced feed, regular vaccination |
| Poultry farming | Eggs and meat | Use of high egg-laying or broiler breeds, clean sheds, balanced feed, disease control |
| Aquaculture | Fish (inland and marine), prawns etc. | Stocking ponds or cages with fast-growing species, regular feeding, water quality maintenance |
| Apiculture | Honey and beeswax | Keeping bee colonies in wooden boxes near flowering crops, preventing predators and diseases |
| Reason (Why) | What Happens (How) | Outcome (Effect on Farmer / Society) |
|---|---|---|
| Use of improved breeds in cattle and poultry | These breeds have higher genetic potential for milk, meat or egg production | More output per animal, better profit for farmers |
| Scientific feeding and vaccination | Animals get balanced nutrition and protection from common diseases | Mortality reduces, productivity and quality of products increase |
| Integrating crops with fish and bees | Fish use pond nutrients; bees help in pollination of crops | Higher crop yield plus fish or honey income from same area |
Memory Line: “Cow–milk, Hen–egg, Fish–protein, Bee–honey” – quick link of main products for rapid recall.
Exam Tip: When the question is about regular income and short production cycle, poultry and fish are preferred; for long-term asset with manure and draught power, cattle are important.
Exam Trap: Aquaculture is not only marine fishing. It also includes fish culture in ponds, tanks and reservoirs (inland aquaculture).