NextPrevious

Animal World

Introduction and Historical Background

How can animals be grouped according to body symmetry?

Symmetry refers to the arrangement of body structures in relation to the axis of the body. Most animals exhibit either radial or bilateral body symmetry. Animals such as jellyfishes, sea anemones, and starfishes have radial symmetry. In radial symmetry the body has the general form of a wheel or cylinder, and similar structures are arranged as spokes from a central axis. The bodies of all other animals are marked by bilateral symmetry, a design in which the body has right and left halves that are mirror images of each other. A bilaterally symmetrical body plan has a top and a bottom, also known respectively as the dorsal and ventral portions of the body. It also has a front (or anterior) end and a back (or posterior) end.



Close

This is a web preview of the "The Handy Science Answer Book" app. Many features only work on your mobile device. If you like what you see, we hope you will consider buying. Get the App