Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Artigas
The balanced arrangement of parts, called symmetry, is characteristic of many animals. An animal with bilateral symmetry has a line of symmetry that divides it into halves that are mirror images. Animals with radial symmetry have many lines of symmetry that all go through a central point. A few animals, including most sponges, have no symmetry. Depending on their symmetry, animals share some general characteristics.
Animals with radial symmetry have body parts that are arranged in a circular pattern around a central point, like spokes on a bicycle wheel. They do not have distinct front or back ends. Animals with radial symmetry live in water and do not move very fast. They either stay in one spot or creep along the bottom.
Animals with bilateral symmetry are often larger than those with radial symmetry. They have more complex and streamlined bodies. These streamlined bodies allow the animals to move more quickly than animals with radial symmetry. The sense organs of animals with bilateral symmetry are located at the front end of their bodies. Swift movement and sense organs help animals with bilateral symmetry obtain food and avoid enemies