bilaterian
by-luh-TEER-ee-uhn
Definition
Refers to a group of animals that possess bilateral symmetry, meaning they have a distinct left and right side, front and back, and top and bottom.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'bis' (twice) and 'latus' (side), the term describes animals with two-sided, symmetrical bodies, a trait that characterizes the vast majority of all animal species.
In the news
In the article, the term is used to contrast the complex, symmetrical body plans of most animal lineages with simpler, non-bilaterian organisms like sponges to explain the evolutionary placement of the discovered enzyme.
A marine worm with no mouth and no gut makes its own enzyme for digesting the bioplastic its skin bacteria build up, and the same kind of enzyme turned up in 66 more animal species across nine phyla, from a sponge to an earthworm to a springtail
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com