Question

What are jointed appendages?

Answer 1

Hint: Various phylum are known for their characteristic feature, having jointed appendage is that of arthropods. The phylum literally breaks into arthron meaning jointed and podos meaning legs or appendages. This phylum constitutes the largest group of animals with about 900,000 species.

Complete answer:
Appendages are the outgrowth that is connected to the body of the organisms. Now the jointed appendages mean that the appendage has the presence of joints in it. These jointed appendages may include legs, wings and mouthparts. These appendages help the arthropods in having greater flexibility and greater range of movement. The joints in the appendages are helpful for the expansion and growth of the exoskeleton.

Arthropods are rightly called animals with jointed appendages. They are adapted to such different habitats that they are often known as the most successful animals. These possess triploblastic, coelomate and bilaterally symmetrical animals. Their body is covered with a chitinous cuticle, which forms the exoskeleton. Their successful adaptation to diversified places is mostly attributed to their unique chitinous cuticle.

Arthropods have a segmented body in which each segment bear a pair of jointed appendages. The head consists of many fused segments which are modified to appendages that help as antennae in feelers, mouthparts or pincers in chelicerae.

Note: Various divisions Arthropoda show the presence of jointed appendages for different functions. The division Crustacea of phylum Arthropoda shows the presence of five pairs of appendages. These appendages are modified for swimming, respiration and reproduction. Some examples of the division Crustacea include Palaemon, Astacus, Lucifer etc.