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Name the phylum and class to which the cockroach belongs.

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Hint: Cockroach is an invertebrate animal. They are hardy insects and commonly found all over the world. Cockroaches have been associated with human settlements since long. They are the oldest known members of the Neopterin insect family.

Complete answer:
In order to classify cockroaches into the correct phylum and class, let us first explore the morphology and anatomy of the insect.
The body of a cockroach is divided into head, thorax and abdomen. The exoskeleton is made up of chitin. The head bears a pair of antennae, a pair of compound eyes and chewing type of mouth parts. The thorax is divided in prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax. Each of the three parts of thorax bears a pair of legs. The legs are jointed. Thorax, also has a pair of wings. The abdomen has 10 segments. Anal styles are present in male cockroaches and absent in females. Anal cerci – a filamentous structure protrudes from the last segment of the abdomen and is present in both males and females.
The circulatory system of the cockroaches is open, that is blood does not flow through closed vessels – it remains in direct contact with the organs of the body. The blood lacks haemoglobin, and is thus not red in colour. The cells of the hemolymph are known as haemocytes.
Cockroaches respire with the help of spiracles that are connected to the tracheal tubes inside the body. Excretion takes place through Malpighian tubules. The sexes are separate in cockroaches and the reproductive system is well developed.
The cockroaches can thus be classified into the phylum Arthropoda based on the following characters:
> The division of the body into the head, thorax and abdomen.
> Presence of jointed appendages serving sensory and locomotive functions.
> Presence of a hard exoskeleton.
> Presence of an open circulatory system.
Under the phylum Arthropoda, cockroaches belong to class Insecta. This is based on the following characters:
> Presence of head, thorax and abdomen.
> Presence of wings at any point of life cycle.
> Presence of three pairs of legs.
> Respiration mediated by the tracheal system.
> Presence of a pair of antennae.
Hence, based on the above characters, we conclude that cockroaches belong to phylum Arthropoda and class Insecta.

Note: Cockroaches are found all over the world and can thrive in a wide range of habitats. They belong to the phylum Arthropoda and class Insecta. Cockroaches are among the most common pests in all households. They inhabit dark and damp kitchen corners and underground pipes. Cockroaches can be carriers of diseases like typhoid, diarrhea and cholera.