Animals have several characteristics that set them apart from other living things.

Animals are eukaryotic and multicellular,[7][8] unlike bacteria, which are

prokaryotic, and unlike protists, which are eukaryotic but unicellular. Unlike
plants and algae, which produce their own nutrients[9] animals are heterotrophic,
[8][10] feeding on organic material and digesting it internally.[11] With very few
exceptions, animals breathe oxygen and respire aerobically.[12] All animals are
motile[13] (able to spontaneously move their bodies) during at least part of their
life cycle, but some animals, such as sponges, corals, mussels, and barnacles,
later become sessile. The blastula is a stage in embryonic development that is
unique to most animals,[14] allowing cells to be differentiated into specialised
tissues and organs.