Enterocoelomates are radial

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Both
• D. Not known

Answer: (B)

Coelom formation defines enterocoelomates: they form the body cavity by enterocoely, meaning outpocketings of the gut endoderm that pinch off to create the coelom. This developmental pattern is a feature of deuterostomes and is independent of the adult body plan’s symmetry. Radial symmetry describes how the organism’s body is arranged around an axis, which is common in many echinoderms but doesn’t determine how the coelom forms. Therefore, being radial is not what characterizes enterocoelomates; they are defined by their coelom development, and their adult symmetry can be radial or bilateral depending on the lineage.