Hexaxon

/hɛkˈsæksən/ noun

Definition

An organism or crystal structure with six axes or six-fold symmetry.

Etymology

From Greek 'hex' (six) + 'axon' (axis). The term combines the prefix for six with the word for directional line, used in biology and crystallography since the 19th century.

Kelly Says

Many sea creatures like starfish and sea urchins display hexaxon-like structures, and this preference for six-fold symmetry in nature still puzzles biologists—it's less common than four-fold or five-fold symmetry.

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