Characteristics of Arthropods

Arthropods are grouped under the animal kingdom. They are invertebrate animals. Despite the enormous diversity found among them, they all share the following common

characteristics:

1. Bilaterally symmetrical body sub-divided into segments.

2. Body covered with exoskeleton which is made up of a tough and rigid substance known as chitin.

3. Jointed appendages are present on some body segments.

4. Body cavity between the alimentary canal and the body wall.

5. Open circulatory system that works by diffusion unlike the arteries and veins in  higher animals like humans which are the closed type.

6. Have ventral ladder type of nervous system: These are called ganglia and are  situated at different places in the body of the arthropod with a ladder type linkage: message passes from one ganglia to the other and finally to the big

ganglia at the head trough nerves.

7. Growth by molting, which is controlled by hormones