doctor-bond

Hullo Biologists - I've been trying, in vain, to think of a natural (ie living) thing that is not symmetrical, but it seems like symmetry rules. Obviously, living things develop under the influence of outside forces (e.g. trees bent by prevailing winds, three-legged cats); but without such forces, aren't all living things symmetrical? At root (ha!), trees have the same dendritic symmetry; even lichens seem to spread with an alarming regularity. So, has anyone got any examples of living things that aren't symmetrical? And, also, why is symmetry so prevalent: what are the mechanisms that cause it? cheers

Brilliant forum. As an inquisitive naif, it struck me that the puzzle of the ~ 85% (yep, wikipedia) missing matter in the universe might easily be solved if we conceived of space itself as having some substance. (I think in previous centuries it may have been called 'the ether'?) Why bother with dark matter if space is stuff too? I'd love to know why this is wrong.