2021 · Q28
Rupa and Sachin observed an animal in their school garden. Rupa called it an insect while Sachin identified it as an earthworm. Which one of the following characteristics confirms that it is an insect?
General KnowledgeBiology
- AThe animal had jointed legs.
- BBody of the animal had very little segmentation.
- CBody of the animal was cylindrical.
- DBody of the animal was bilaterally symmetrical.
Explanation
Jointed legs are the diagnostic feature of arthropods, the phylum to which insects (class Insecta) belong - insects have three pairs of jointed legs, a chitinous exoskeleton and a three-part body. Earthworms are annelids with soft, legless, uniformly segmented cylindrical bodies. Bilateral symmetry and some segmentation occur in both groups, so only the jointed legs confirm an insect.