Key Vocab - 12. Characteristics of Animals

Front

Symmetry

Back

Balanced distribution of duplicate body parts or shapes within an organism

Front

Asymmetrical

Back

Lacking any plane of symmetry; body cannot be divided into mirror-image halves.

Front

Radial Symmetry

Back

Body parts arranged around a central axis, allowing division into similar halves by multiple planes passing through this axis

Front

Bilateral Symmetry

Back

Body plan with a single plane dividing the organism into mirror-image right and left halves.

Front

Cephalization

Back

Concentration of sensory organs and nervous system components at the anterior end, forming a head region.

Front

Coelomate

Back

Animals with a true coelom, a fluid-filled body cavity completely lined by mesoderm-derived tissue.

Front

Pseudocoelomate

Back

Animals with a body cavity (pseudocoelom) not entirely lined by mesoderm-derived tissue.

Front

Acoelomate

Back

Animals lacking a body cavity, with solid tissue between the digestive tract and body wall.

Front

Segmentation

Back

Division of an animal’s body into repetitive segments, often allowing for greater flexibility and mobility.