section_path: Invertebrate skeletons/Arthropods
section_name: Arthropods
paragraph_text: Arthropods
  
  The skeletons of arthropods, including insects, crustaceans, and arachnids, are cuticle exoskeletons. They are composed of chitin secreted by the epidermis. The cuticle covers the animal's body and lines several internal organs, including parts of the digestive system. Arthropods molt as they grow through a process of ecdysis, developing a new exoskeleton, digesting part of the previous skeleton, and leaving the remainder behind. An arthropod's skeleton serves many functions, working as an integument to provide a barrier and support the body, providing appendages for movement and defense, and assisting in sensory perception. Some arthropods, such as crustaceans, absorb biominerals like calcium carbonate from the environment to strengthen the cuticle.