MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN
WORLD
PORTFOLIO SUBMITED BY:
Everyone has a fond memory of going to the beach as
a child. One of the most memorable things I did was
collect sea shells because of how pretty they were.
Now that we study mathematics in nature, we can
appreciate how precise and meticulous these
complex structures are with these creatures of the
sea. In this first example we have the shark eye snail.
This is a gastropod mollusk, meaning it has one
opening in a spiral shaped shell. It is also part of the
moon snail family. In mathematics we can clearly see
the Fibonacci Spiral or also known as the Golden
Spiral.
When someone ask you to imagine a seashell what
comes up in your mind? Is this the kind of seashell
that pops in your mind? This is a scallop shell.
scallop shell is bilateral in symmetry, but the
subtriangular, wing-like auricles along the hinge
line will still display asymmetry. If you cut this
example scallop shell in its midline you will have the
mirror half of it, meaning this seashell is a bilateral
symmetry in nature, particularly in the ocean.
This is a cone shell in its overhead view, a cone shell
is typically straight-sided, with a tapering body
whorl, low spire, and narrow aperture. This is an
example of a spiral symmetry, a curved pattern that
focuses on a center point and a series of circular
shapes that revolve around it. Spirals are common
in plants and in some animals, notably mollusks.