What is the defining nutritional characteristic of organisms in Kingdom Animalia?
Answer
Heterotrophic, consuming other organisms for energy
The Kingdom Animalia is fundamentally defined by its method of obtaining energy and nutrition. Organisms placed here are heterotrophic, meaning they cannot produce their own food internally, unlike plants (autotrophs). Instead, they must consume other organisms—whether by ingestion or absorption—to acquire the necessary energy and carbon compounds required for their complex cellular functions and mobility. This contrasts sharply with fungi, which are absorptive heterotrophs, or plants, which are photosynthetic autotrophs.
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