Question

Are cnidarians radial or bilateral?

Answer 1

Cnidarians:

1. Animals that belong to the phylum Cnidaria exhibit specialized cells called cnidoblasts (cnidocytes). These cells play important roles in defense and capturing prey.
2. They are diploblastic and possess a tissue level of organization. These tissues develop from two germ layers- ectoderm and endoderm.
3. Cnidarians are radially symmetric animals (e.g. sea anemones). They can be divided into two identical halves by any plane passing through the central axis of the body.
4. If the organism can be divided by one plane along with the median axis, where similar anatomical parts are placed on either side of the plane, it is called bilateral symmetry. Octopus, snail, spiders, worms, etc show bilateral symmetry.