Usefulness of animals for mankind

As food

The human Population exploits a large number of animal species for food, both of domesticated Livestock species in Animal Husbandry and, mainly at sea, by hunting wild species. Marine fish of many species, such as herring, cod, tuna, mackerel and anchovy, are caught commercially, forming an important part of the diet, including protein and fatty acids, of much of the world’s population. A smaller number of species are farmed commercially, including salmon and carp.

Invertebrates including cephalopods like squid and octopus; crustaceans such as prawns, crabs, and lobsters; and bivalve or gastropod molluscs such as clams, oysters, cockles, and whelks are all hunted or farmed for food. Mammals form a large part of the livestock raised for meat across the world. They include (2011) around 1.4 billion cattle, 1.2 billion sheep, 1 billion domestic pigs, and (1985) over 700 million rabbits.

For clothing and textiles

Textiles from the most utilitarian to the most luxurious are made from animal fibres such as wool, camel hair, angora, cashmere, and mohair. Hunter-gatherers have used animal sinews as lashings and bindings. Leather from cattle, pigs and other species is widely used to make shoes, handbags, belts and many other items. Animals have been hunted and farmed for their fur, to make items such as coats and hats, again ranging from simply warm and practical to the most elegant and expensive.

Dyestuffs including carmine (cochineal), shellac, and kermes have been made from the bodies of insects. In classical times, Tyrian purple was extracted from sea snails such as Stramonita haemastoma (Muricidae) for the clothing of royalty, as recorded by Aristotle and Pliny the Elder.

For work and transport

Working domestic animals including cattle, horses, yaks, camels, and elephants have been used for work and transport from the origins of agriculture, their numbers declining with the arrival of mechanised transport and agricultural machinery. In 2004 they still provided some 80% of the power for the mainly small farms in the third world, and some 20% of the world’s transport, again mainly in rural areas. In mountainous regions unsuitable for wheeled vehicles, pack animals continue to transport goods.

In science

Animals such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the zebrafish, the chicken and the house mouse, serve a major role in science as experimental models, both in fundamental biological research, such as in genetics, and in the development of new medicines, which must be tested exhaustively to demonstrate their safety. Millions of mammals, especially mice and rats, are used in experiments each year. A knockout mouse is a genetically modified mouse with an inactivated gene, replaced or disrupted with an artificial piece of DNA. They enable the study of sequenced genes whose functions are unknown.

In medicine

Vaccines have been made using animals since their discovery by Edward Jenner in the 18th century. He noted that inoculation with live cowpox afforded protection against the more dangerous smallpox. In the 19th century, Louis Pasteur developed an attenuated (weakened) vaccine for rabies. In the 20th century, vaccines for the viral diseases mumps and polio were developed using animal cells grown in vitro. An increasing variety of drugs are based on toxins and other Molecules of animal origin. The cancer drug Yondelis was isolated from the tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinata. One of dozens of toxins made by the deadly cone snail Conus geographus is used as Prialt in pain relief.

In hunting

Animals, and products made from them, are used to assist in hunting. People have used hunting dogs to help chase down animals such as deer, wolves, and foxes; birds of prey from eagles to small falcons are used in falconry, hunting birds or mammals; and tethered cormorants have been used to catch fish. Dendrobatid poison dart frogs, especially those in the genus Phyllobates, secrete toxins such as Pumiliotoxin 251D and Allopumiliotoxin 267A powerful enough to be used to poison the tips of blowpipe darts.

As pets

A wide variety of animals are kept as pets, from invertebrates such as tarantulas and octopuses, insects including praying mantises, reptiles such as snakes and chameleons, and birds including canaries, parakeets and parrots all finding a place. Anthropomorphism is the innate tendency to attribute human traits, emotions, and intentions to animals, and it is an important aspect of the way that people relate to animals such as pets. However, mammals are the most popular pets in the Western world, with the most kept species being dogs, cats, and rabbits. For example, in America in 2012 there were some 78 million dogs, 86 million cats, and 3.5 million rabbits. There is a tension between the role of animals as companions to humans, and their existence as individuals with rights of their own.

For sport

A wide variety of both terrestrial and aquatic animals are hunted for sport. The aquatic animals most often hunted for sport are fish, including many species from large marine predators such as sharks and tuna, to freshwater fish such as trout and carp. Birds such as partridges, pheasants and ducks, and mammals such as deer and wild boar, are among the terrestrial game animals most often hunted for sport and for food.

In literature and film

Animals as varied as bees, beetles, mice, foxes, crocodiles and elephants play a wide variety of roles in literature and film, from Aesop’s Fables of the classical era to Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories and Beatrix Potter’s “little books” starting with the 1901 Tale of Peter Rabbit. A genre of films has been based on oversized insects, including the pioneering 1954 Them!, featuring giant ants mutated by radiation, and the 1957 The Deadly Mantis. Birds have occasionally featured in film, as in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 The Birds, loosely based on Daphne du Maurier’s story of the same name, which tells the tale of sudden attacks on people by violent flocks of birds. Ken Loach’s admired 1969 Kes, based on Barry Hines’s 1968 novel A Kestrel for a Knave, tells a story of a boy coming of age by training a kestrel.

Animals have been used by humans for a variety of purposes throughout history. Some of the most common ways in which animals have been useful to humans include:

Agriculture: Animals have been used in agriculture for thousands of years. They have been used to pull plows, thresh grain, and transport goods. They have also been used as a source of food and fertilizer.
Companionship: Animals have been kept as companions for centuries. They provide companionship, love, and support. They can also help to reduce Stress and anxiety.
Food: Animals have been a source of food for humans for as long as we have existed. They provide us with meat, milk, eggs, and other nutrients.
Hunting: Animals have been hunted for food, clothing, and other materials for centuries. Hunting can also be a recreational activity.
Labor: Animals have been used as a source of labor for centuries. They have been used to pull carts, plow fields, and transport goods. They have also been used in warfare.
Medical research: Animals have been used in medical research for centuries. They have been used to test new drugs and treatments. They have also been used to study human diseases.
Pest control: Animals have been used to control pests for centuries. They have been used to eat rodents, insects, and other pests.
Religion: Animals have been used in religion for centuries. They have been used as symbols, sacrifices, and companions.
Recreation: Animals have been used for recreation for centuries. They have been used for hunting, fishing, and other activities.
Transportation: Animals have been used for transportation for centuries. They have been used to pull carts, wagons, and other vehicles.
War: Animals have been used in warfare for centuries. They have been used as transportation, messengers, and weapons.
Wildlife conservation: Animals have been used in wildlife conservation for centuries. They have been used to protect endangered species and their habitats.

Animals have played an important role in human history and continue to be useful to us today. They provide us with food, clothing, labor, companionship, and recreation. They also help us to understand the natural world and to protect endangered species. We should be grateful for the many ways in which animals have benefited us and continue to benefit us.

In addition to the above, animals also play a vital role in the Environment. They help to pollinate Plants, disperse seeds, and control pests. They also provide us with ecosystem Services such as water purification and flood control. Animals are an important part of our planet and we should do everything we can to protect them.

Table of Contents

Animals in the food chain

What is the food chain?
The food chain is a system that shows how different animals depend on each other for food.
What are the different levels of the food chain?
The different levels of the food chain are producers, consumers, and decomposers.
What are producers?
Producers are the organisms that make their own food. Plants are the main producers in the food chain.
What are consumers?
Consumers are the organisms that eat other organisms for food. Consumers can be herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores.
What are herbivores?
Herbivores are the consumers that eat plants.
What are carnivores?
Carnivores are the consumers that eat other animals.
What are omnivores?
Omnivores are the consumers that eat both plants and animals.
What are decomposers?
Decomposers are the organisms that break down dead organisms into nutrients that can be used by other organisms.

Animals in the ecosystem

What is an ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things that interact with each other.
What are the different types of Ecosystems?
There are many different types of ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, deserts, Oceans, and freshwater ecosystems.
What are the roles of animals in an ecosystem?
Animals play many different roles in an ecosystem, including as predators, prey, pollinators, and seed dispersers.
What are the benefits of having animals in an ecosystem?
Animals provide many benefits to an ecosystem, including helping to control populations of other organisms, pollinating plants, and dispersing seeds.
What are the threats to animals in an ecosystem?
The main threats to animals in an ecosystem are habitat loss, hunting, and pollution.

Animals in human Society

What are the different ways that humans interact with animals?
Humans interact with animals in many different ways, including as pets, food, and research subjects.
What are the benefits of having animals in human society?
Animals provide many benefits to human society, including companionship, food, and labor.
What are the challenges of having animals in human society?
The main challenges of having animals in human society are animal welfare, disease transmission, and environmental impact.
What are the ethical issues surrounding animals in human society?
There are many ethical issues surrounding animals in human society, including the use of animals in research, the consumption of meat, and the keeping of animals as pets.

Sure, here are some multiple choice questions about animals without mentioning the topic “Usefulness of animals for mankind”:

Which of the following is not a type of animal?
(A) Mammal
(B) Bird
(C) Fish
(D) Plant
Which of the following is the largest animal on Earth?
(A) Blue whale
(B) Elephant
(C) Giraffe
(D) Lion
Which of the following is the smallest animal on Earth?
(A) Pygmy shrew
(B) Bumblebee bat
(C) Etruscan shrew
(D) Dwarf shrew
Which of the following is the fastest animal on Earth?
(A) Cheetah
(B) Peregrine falcon
(C) Blue whale
(D) Ostrich
Which of the following is the slowest animal on Earth?
(A) Sloth
(B) Snail
(C) Tortoise
(D) Turtle
Which of the following is the most intelligent animal on Earth?
(A) Chimpanzee
(B) Gorilla
(C) Orangutan
(D) Bonobo
Which of the following is the most common animal on Earth?
(A) Housefly
(B) Mosquito
(C) Ant
(D) Termite
Which of the following is the most endangered animal on Earth?
(A) Northern white rhinoceros
(B) Javan rhinoceros
(C) Sumatran rhinoceros
(D) Black rhinoceros
Which of the following is the most popular pet in the world?
(A) Dog
(B) Cat
(C) Fish
(D) Bird
Which of the following is the most dangerous animal in the world?
(A) Lion
(B) Tiger
(C) Elephant
(D) Hippopotamus

I hope these questions were interesting and challenging!