What defines taxis in the context of animal movement?

Taxis refers to a direct and purposeful movement of an organism toward or away from a specific stimulus in its environment. This behavior is often seen in response to various environmental cues such as light, chemicals, or gravity. For instance, phototaxis is the movement toward light, while chemotaxis involves moving toward or away from a chemical substance.

This characteristic of directed movement is crucial for survival, as it enables organisms to respond adaptively to their surroundings, enhancing their chances for food acquisition or shelter, or avoiding danger. Such behaviors are distinct from random movements or patterns of locomotion that do not exhibit a clear directional preference, which would indicate another type of movement behavior not classified as taxis.