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Koreana can’t tell if an organism is a crustacean or an insect. Which of these should she ask?

a. Does it have wings?
b. Does it have jointed legs?
c. Does it have a backbone?
d. Does it have an exoskeleton?

1 Answer

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Final answer:

To identify if an organism is a crustacean as opposed to an insect, Koreana should ask if it has two pairs of antennae, a feature unique to crustaceans. Both crustaceans and insects share characteristics like exoskeletons and jointed legs, but crustaceans also have biramous appendages and periodically shed their exoskeleton to grow. The correct answer is option b.

Step-by-step explanation:

Identifying Crustaceans vs Insects

To determine whether an organism is a crustacean or an insect, Koreana should ask if the organism has two pairs of antennae, as this is a characteristic feature of crustaceans. Both crustaceans and insects have jointed legs, exoskeletons, and neither have backbones. However, crustaceans typically possess two pairs of antennae and biramous appendages, which differentiate them from insects.

Characteristics of Crustaceans

Crustaceans include organisms like crabs, lobsters, shrimp, krill, and woodlice. Common characteristics of crustaceans are their exoskeleton, which they periodically shed to grow, the carapace, which shields vital areas like the gills, and biramous appendages, which are legs formed in two parts. They shed their outer skeleton because they cannot grow underneath it, leaving them vulnerable during this process.

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