The primary difference between invertebrates and vertebrates lies in the presence or absence of a backbone (also called a spinal column or vertebral column). Here’s a breakdown of the key distinctions between these two groups of animals:

**Invertebrates**:
1. **Backbone**: Invertebrates do not have a backbone or spinal column. Instead, they have a wide variety of body plans and structural support systems, including exoskeletons (e.g., arthropods like insects and crustaceans) or hydrostatic skeletons (e.g., worms and jellyfish).
2. **Diversity**: Invertebrates represent the vast majority of animal species and encompass a wide range of taxa, including insects, worms, mollusks, arachnids, crustaceans, echinoderms, and many others.
3. **Size**: Invertebrates vary greatly in size, from microscopic organisms like bacteria and protozoa to giant creatures like giant squid and certain species of jellyfish.
4. **Habitats**: Invertebrates inhabit diverse environments, including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats. They can be found in virtually every ecosystem on Earth.

**Vertebrates**:
1. **Backbone**: Vertebrates possess a well-developed backbone or spinal column composed of individual vertebrae, which encloses and protects the spinal cord. This characteristic distinguishes vertebrates from invertebrates.
2. **Nervous System**: Vertebrates typically have a more complex nervous system compared to invertebrates, including a brain enclosed within a skull.
3. **Internal Organs**: Vertebrates have well-developed internal organs, including a heart, lungs or gills, liver, kidneys, and reproductive organs, which often exhibit greater structural complexity compared to invertebrates.
4. **Mobility**: Vertebrates often have specialized locomotor structures, such as limbs, fins, or wings, which allow them to move efficiently in their environments.
5. **Diversity**: While vertebrates represent a smaller proportion of animal species compared to invertebrates, they are nonetheless highly diverse and include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
6. **Adaptations**: Vertebrates have evolved a wide range of adaptations for various ecological niches, including flight in birds, echolocation in bats, and complex social behaviors in mammals like primates and cetaceans.

In summary, the presence of a backbone is the defining characteristic that distinguishes vertebrates from invertebrates. While invertebrates comprise the majority of animal diversity, vertebrates exhibit greater structural complexity, often accompanied by specialized adaptations for diverse ecological roles.

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