Science Class 7th grade Ms.

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

Two Matching Sides

Many animals have a body form that is symmetrical, meaning that it could be divided into matching halves by drawing a line down the center. In this respect, arthropods are built like humans are; the right half of an arthropod is a mirror image of its left half this is called bilateral symmetry (bi = two, latus = side). Other animals have symmetry like a snowflakes there are many different ways to carve it into matching halves, and all of these lines meet in the middle, dividing it up like a birthday cake. That is called radial symmetry. Other animals are not symmetrical at all their bodies cannot be divided into similar halves with a straight line.