Symmetry in Nature

The word ‘symmetry' is often used in everyday language, and usually people of all ages (young and old) can recognize symmetry when they see it.

Do you ever wonder why that happens?

Well, the reason for this is that symmetry can be found everywhere and in everything around the world. There are several different kinds of symmetry, but the one that appears in nature most often is called bilateral symmetry.

Here are some examples of bilateral symmetry in nature:

If you take any of the pictures above and divide them vertically in the middle, the left and the right halves of the image will be mirror reflections of each other.

The beauty of symmetry in nature inspired a famous poet William Blake to write a poem about it:

• Can you think of at least 5 more examples of symmetry in nature?
• Look at your own reflection in the mirror. You and your reflection are mirror images of each other. The mirror is called the line of symmetry.
• Choose a symmetrical object you like. On graph paper, draw a vertical line of symmetry, and then try to draw one half of your object. When you are finished, place a mirror on your line of symmetry and see if you get a complete figure.

Reference:

Math for Fun Projects,Andrew King. Copper Beech Books. 1999. ISBN 0-7613-0789-3