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/sci/ - Science & Math

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4863666 No.4863666 [Reply] [Original]

Why is most life symmetrical?

>> No.4863671

simpler.

>> No.4863682

More efficient.

>> No.4863709
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4863709

Existance is a wave. The symmetry of existence comes from the corresponding peaks and troughs that of that wave.

>> No.4863708

According to the theory of evolution, animals tend to adapt to their environment over the generations because of mutations modifying their anatomical and physiological traits so that they get more fit in their habitat, or something like that.

Now, I'm pretty sure the environment of most animals is the same on their left and right.

>> No.4863751

>>4863682

>more efficient

Efficiency is binary. It is or it isn't

>> No.4863754

>>4863751

Source on that statement?

>> No.4863772

>>4863754

I claimed that efficiency is binary. If something is efficient, it does what it is supposed to do at it's best and at the lowest cost of energy. Something can't be "more best at a lower cost of energy". Therefore, something is either efficient or it isn't.

>> No.4863788

>>4863772
i think by "efficiency" most people mean how close a system is to what you mean by "efficiency."

>> No.4863786

>>4863772

Subject A: consumes 600 kJ , completes what it needs to do in 1 hour

Subject B: consumes 1200 kJ, completes what it needs to do in 1 hour
Subject C: consumes 200 kJ, completes what it needs to do in 1 hour

C is more efficient than A that is more efficient than B

>> No.4863792

>>4863666
Uniformity of the environment.
Most things are symmetrical, not just life.

>> No.4863794

>>4863708
Half of the whales aren't. I spent my entire work day reading wikipedia a while ago, and if I remember right toothed whales (dolphins, orca, sperm whales etc.) have asymmetrical skulls to aid in echolocation, at least in current theory.

SCIENCE!

>> No.4863796

>>4863751
lol, you're thinking of absolute efficiency.

>> No.4863805

>>4863772
Efficiency isn't whether or not some event happens, it's the degree of how something performs based on known limits. Anything between the limits can be expressed as a percentage.

You have indeed stated otherwise, but that doth not make it so.

>> No.4865459

The fun thing is: It isn't.
I'm not a chemist but I heard in that the same molecules can have different orientations: Clockwise or counterclockwise., similar to how a spring turns CW and CCW. Usually in the universe the amount of CW and CCW molecules of one kind is about even in any volume of matter, however in any living organism you only find CCW orientated molecules.

Source: http://www.radiolab.org/2011/apr/18/mirror-mirror/

As for overall shape of the organism: I guess a symetrical body shape is best fit for moving forward and/or steering yourself.

>> No.4865464

>>4865459
It's called chirality, and yeah, for some reason proteins on Earth life are left-handed. It's probably a coincidence.

>> No.4865465

http://www.biology-direct.com/content/7/1/22/abstract

/thread

>> No.4865502
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4865502

You guys NEED to read this. This book is extremely important for anyone into science, literature and art.

http://www.mediafire.com/?vijmnem1iwg

>> No.4865680
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4865680

where is your god now?

>> No.4865736

Well, it's called as optical ilusion... Live with it...

>> No.4865739

>>4865502
???????????????????

>> No.4865761

How would an organism benefit if its sensory organs werent symmetrical? I dont think there are any benefits.

>> No.4865868

>>4865761
what? they're not

>> No.4865877

Aside from the convenience of having doubles of things, it's easier for the DNA to encode just one half of the body which is then mirrored, more or less than an asymmetric lump of organs and bones.

>> No.4865881

>>4863666

Because fractals

>> No.4865896
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4865896

>>4865502

>> No.4865939

My guess is that it would have to do with probability.

Let's assume a creature has an equal chance of getting attacked from the left and right sides. If one side is weaker, other creatures will learn to attack that side (kind of like how some animals naturally go for the throat). This would cause the creature to have a greater chance of getting killed and not passing its genes along.

>> No.4866341 [DELETED] 

The guy makes awesome music. /somewhatrelated

>> No.4866346

The guy makes awesome music. /somewhatrelated

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4vAxhg4ngE

>> No.4866644

>>4865939
Also predictability. If you're a predator seeing a prey with a single big fin on its side or a large wing you think "Hmmm... I wonder which way its going to go. THAT's SO HARD".

Note that animals are always asymmetric from back to front. You don't as much need choices in going forwards or backwards, you need efficiency.