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Zoology facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Zoology is the science of studying animal life. It is a big part of biology, which is the study of all living things. The word "zoology" is pronounced Zō-ölogy, not Zoo-ology. It comes from ancient Greek words meaning "animal" and "study."

Zoologists are scientists who study animals. They might work in labs or do field research outdoors. They use many different ways to learn about animals. Zoologists look at how animals are built (their structure), how their bodies work (their function), how they live in their environment (their ecology), and how they have changed over long periods (their evolution).

To study animal structure, zoologists might use dissection (carefully taking apart an animal to see inside) or microscopes to look at tiny parts. They learn about how animals function by watching them closely (observation) and by doing experiments. Palaeontology is a special part of zoology that helps us learn about animals that are now extinct, meaning they no longer live on Earth. Zoologists can work at universities, museums, or zoos.

Famous Zoologists and Their Discoveries

Many amazing scientists have contributed to zoology. Here are some of them:

How Zoologists Classify Animals

Zoologists group animals into different categories based on their shared features. These groups are called phyla (plural of phylum). There are at least 30 main phyla, and each one contains animals that are related to each other. For example, all animals with backbones belong to one phylum called Chordata.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Zoología para niños

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Zoology Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.