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23.1 Animal Characteristics KEY CONCEPT Animals are diverse but share common characteristics. 23.1 Animal Characteristics Animals are the most physically diverse kingdom of organisms. • Animals range in size from 25-meter-long blue whales to microscopic rotifers. • Animals are found nearly everywhere on Earth. 23.1 Animal Characteristics All animals share a set of characteristics. • All animals share a unique set of derived characters. • Animal cells are supported by collagen. – three-stranded protein – found in bone, skin, ligaments, fingernails, and hair 23.1 Animal Characteristics • Animals are diploid and usually reproduce sexually. – diploid parents produce diploid offspring – do not have free-living haploid life stages Diploid cells have two copies of each chromosome: one copy from the mother and one from the father 23.1 Animal Characteristics • Most animals have Hox genes. – Homeotic genes control early development. – Hox genes determine the position of cells differentiation. – A Hox gene mutation leads to the development of a body structure in the wrong position.