What are Non-Chordates?

Non-chordates refer to a group of those animals that lack a notochord. They include insects, mollusks, worms, jellyfish, and many others.

Characteristics of Non-Chordates

Non-chordates exhibit a wider range of body symmetries compared to chordates:

• They are cold-blooded.
• They can be acoelomates, pseudocoelomates, and coelomates.
• Also, their germ layer can be diploblastic or triploblastic.
• Post-anal tail is absent.
• Exoskeleton is present while the endoskeleton is absent.
• The regeneration power of non-chordates is good.
• They have a protoplasmic to organ system level of organization.
• The gut is present dorsal to the nerve cord.
• Anus is generally absent. If present, it opens on the last segment.
• Respiration in non-chordates occurs through diffusion across the body surface.
• Gill slits are absent.

Difference between Chordates and Non-Chordates: Chordates and Non-Chordates are two groups of animals based on the presence or absence of a notochord. Notochord is a flexible rod-like structure that provides support. Chordates possess a notochord at some stage of their life. Non-chordates, on the other hand, lack a notochord. In this article, we will cover key distinctions between chordates and non-chordates in detail.