Phylum Arthropoda is the largest phylum of animals and includes organisms with jointed legs and segmented bodies such as insects, spiders, crustaceans and others. Arthropods live in nearly all environments on Earth, from deserts to oceans. They have an exoskeleton, segmented body, jointed appendages, and shed their exoskeleton through molting. As the most diverse and abundant group of animals, arthropods play important economic roles through products like honey and silk, but some also spread diseases and damage crops.

3. WHAT IS PHYLUM ARTHROPOD?
Phylum Arthropod is one of the eight
invertebrates (organisms which do not have
back bone) phylums starting from porifera
to echinodermata. The members of the
phylum Arthropoda are commonly known as
the animals with jointed legs. This is the
biggest animal taxon, forming more than
80% of the living organisms.

4. Arthropods live in almost every habitat
on the earth: Terrestrial which includes:
desert, forest, grassland and tundra and
aquatic which include: freshwater and
marine; some live on top of mountains
while others live at great depths in the
ocean and icy environments.

6. Arthropods are triploblastic, bilaterally symmetrical,
coelomate animals.

7. The arthropod body is covered by an
exoskeleton made of chitinous cuticle.

8. The body is segmented. A pair of
jointed appendages generally arises
from each body segment.

9. Arthropods generally posses compound
eyes

10. GENERALLY THE HEAD IS WELL DEVELOPED

11. THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM IS WELL DEVELOPED
WITH DISTINCT ORGANS; SALIVARY GLANDS ARE
PRESENT.

12. They have an open type of circulatory
system in which blood circulates in the
body cavity

16. Arthropods periodically shed their body skin;
this process is known as moulting.

17. They are the only invertebrates which have
developed wings and can fly.

18. NUTRITION
Arthropods exhibit a variety of feeding habits. There
are carnivores, herbivores, detritus feeders, filter
feeders, and parasites. Specialized paired
appendages around the mount help in capturing and
handling food. Many carnivorous arthropods capture
prey with poison, which is usually administered with
a special appendage.

19. Arthropods are unisexual and reproduce by
sexual reproduction. In some members of
the phylum the male and female can be
identified by external features. This
conditions is known as sexual dimorphism.
Fertilization is usually internal.

20. Economic Importance
Many arthropods such as shrimps, lobsters
and crabs are used as food throughout the
world.
Honey bee produce Honey.
Silk mouth produces Silk.
Honey and Silk are economically very
important.

21. Dis-advantages
A large number of species of insects and
mites attack food crops and timber.
Locusts destroy large amounts of food crops
every year.
Termites destroy huge buildings, coconut
trees, etc.
Diseases such as malaria, African sleeping
sickness, bubonic plague, dengue fever,
elephantiasis etc, are spread by insects and
other arthropods.

22. Example for Arthropods