What is the fundamental nutritional requirement defining membership in Kingdom Animalia?
Answer
They are heterotrophic organisms that must consume other organisms for energy.
The broadest taxonomic rank for the white-tailed deer is the Kingdom Animalia. The defining physiological characteristic that places any organism into this kingdom is its mode of nutrition. Animals are heterotrophic, which means they cannot produce their own food internally through processes like photosynthesis (as plants do). Instead, they must obtain necessary energy and organic compounds by consuming or ingesting other living or recently deceased organisms, distinguishing them sharply from flora and fungi.
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