Whorls in biology refer to a circular arrangement of similar parts such as leaves, petals, or appendages radiating from a single point or node on a central axis.
- In botany: A whorl is a ring of three or more leaves, bracts, or floral parts (sepals, petals, stamens, carpels) arising from the same node on a stem
- In floral structure: Flowers have four whorls calyx (sepals), corolla (petals), androecium (stamens), and gynoecium (carpels)
- In zoology: Whorls describe the spiral turns of a gastropod (snail shell) coiled around a central axis called the columella
- In fingerprint science: A whorl is one of three main fingerprint pattern types a ridge pattern that forms a complete circle
The point from which whorl structures radiate is called the node in plants and the apex in shells.