Structure and Function

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the relationship of
and
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George de Mestral was an amateur Swiss
mountaineer,hiking along one day in 1948.
Poor George could not enjoy the beautiful scenery
of the Alps nor the companionship of his dog . . .
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. . . because of those wretched cockleburs
sticking all over his clothes, not to mention his
dogs fur.
As the story goes, George became fascinated with
the burs, raced home, and stuck one of the burs
under his microscope.
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Peering into the microscope, George saw the small
hooks on the burs that grabbed the tiny threads
in his pants.
He thought of his 6th grade science teacher who
stressed the relationship of structure and
function and thought to himself . . .
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Ill make something just like this marvel of
nature, only it will be designed as a fastener.
One side will have stiff hooks like the burs ...
and the other side will have loopy threads like
my pants and my dogs fur.
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Thus, George de Mestral invented VELCRO.
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What is the structure of VELCRO?
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What is the function of VELCRO?
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How is the structure of VELCRO related to its
function?
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AN INQUIRY ACTIVITY
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Describe the structure of these feet.
Describe their function.
How does the structure of each foot relate to its
function?
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Describe the structure of these beaks.
Describe their function.
How does the structure of each beak relate to its
function?
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How are
and
related in energy efficient homes?
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What do you think is the function of this
particular kind of roof?
How does structure of this particular kind of
roof relate to energy use?
Would the structure of the roof on your home
function the same way as these roofs?
What do you notice about the structure of these
homes?
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What do you think is the function of this
particular kind of roof?
How does structure of this particular kind of
roof relate to energy use?
Would the structure of the roof on your home
function the same way as these roofs?
What do you notice about the structure of these
homes?
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What do you notice about the structure of this
home?
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This is the home of former President Bush in
Kennebunkport, Maine. What do you notice about
the structure of his home?
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How is the
of a whales mouth
?
related to its
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All whales belong to the scientific order
Cetacea, a subdivision of mammals.
Cetaceans are further subdivided into 2 suborders.
Cetacea
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Mysticetes are baleen whales.
Mysticete is Greek for moustache.
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The moustaches are actually baleen.
Baleen is a stiff, bristly material that grows
from the upper jaws of toothless whales.
Baleen is made of keratin, the substance of
fingernails and hoofs.
The inner edge of each baleen plate is fringed to
strain food from water. The tongue forces the
water back out of the mouth.
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Which whales do you think are more likely to be
predators? toothed or baleen (toothless)?
Name several structures of these whales that
allow them to function more successfully as
predators.
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Baleen whales strain swarms of plankton or small
fish from the water . . .
. . . and are much, MUCH LARGER than toothed
whales.
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How is the function of baleen related to its
structure?
Describe the structure of baleen.
Describe the function of baleen.