Vertebrates and invertebrates

[Gaeilge]

what are the main differences? i dont want to hear anything unhelpful

[mith]

lookup the wikipedia entries and compare.

[MichaelXY]

Vertebrates have more back aches.

[Darby]

It's a very artificial designation.

[MrMistery]

first of all, the opposite of invertebrate is not vertebrate, it is chordate.

[MichaelXY]

first of all, the opposite of invertebrate is not vertebrate, it is chordate.

I would think arthropods would be a better opposite.

[nova707]

a vertebrate is any animal with a stiff vertebral column present. Both vertebrates and invertebrates have a notochord: a flexible stiffening rod that they retain as adults

[Darby]

Only chordates have notochords (some vertebrate, some not) - the vast majority of animals don't.

[nova707]

Thanks for the clarification

[Darby]

Oh, and the vast majority of vertebrates only have a notochord in the early embryo stage - it kind of causes the formation of the brain and spinal cord, then breaks down.

[Chroma]

its kind of funny to compare vertebrates to invertebrates as the vertebrates are a single body design while inverts are comprised of a variety of alternative forms... A fair comparison would be apples to all other fruits. Basically to look at the comparison it would be more effective to read what traits are unique to vertebrates (or chordates, the phylum) as was mentioned.

The most basic list for chordates is:
Endostyle (becomes thyroid gland in the more derived forms)
Post Anal Tail (though some have lost theirs, though a vestigial structure usually still remains)
Notochord (for movement or other functions in other chordates)
Pharyngeal slits (become a variety of other structures like gills)
Dorsal Nerve Chord (the spinal chord and brain in vertebrates)

There are more specific features for vertebrates; lensed eyes (similar to gastropod and annelid eyes), jaws on all but the agnathans, an endoskeleton, etc... and for most of them there is invertebrate group(s) that share similar features..

[jwalin]

first of all, the opposite of invertebrate is not vertebrate, it is chordate.

I would think arthropods would be a better opposite.

wouldn't annelid be a better opposite?
or rather let it go down to monera groups