Teachers Paradise School Supplies Teacher Resources Free Encyclopedia
Teachers Paradise FREE Teaching Resources
Home Arts Crafts Audio Visual Equipment Office Supplies Teacher Resources
Main Page | Edit this page

Radial symmetry

In biology, radial symmetry is a characteristic that is used to help classify multicellular organisms. It refers to the fact that it's possible to make any cut through the center of the organism, with the plane of the cut going from the top to the bottom (dorsal to ventral), and result in roughly equal halves in terms of organs and/or body parts. (Multi-layered circular pies exhibit radial symmetry.) Organisms with radial symmetry only have 1 orientation: dorsal-ventral (or anterior-posterior, there is no differentiation). Organisms with bilateral symmetry, on the other hand, have 2 orientations: dorsal-ventral, as well as anterior-posterior. Jellyfish and ctenophores are the only animals with true radial symmetry; echinoderms have partial radial symmetry.

See also: bilateral symmetry



Pay for Educational Supplies & Teaching Supplies with Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover or Paypal.
TeachersParadise.com HOME | Safe Shopping Guarantee | Help Desk
All trademarks & brands are the property of their respective owners.
Legal Notice 2000-2008 TeachersParadise.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved