Besides a segmented body, what key physical trait characterizes membership in Phylum Arthropoda?
Answer
A tough, chitinous exoskeleton that must be periodically shed
Phylum Arthropoda encompasses a vast array of creatures, including insects, arachnids, and crustaceans like woodlice. A defining set of features unites them, primarily the presence of a segmented body, jointed appendages (which gives the phylum its name), and crucially, a tough external covering known as a chitinous exoskeleton. Because this exoskeleton is rigid and does not grow, the animal must periodically undergo ecdysis, or molting, shedding the old shell to accommodate an increase in body size. This periodic shedding process is essential for growth within the phylum.
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