the relationship of and

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 . . .

. . . because of those wretched cockleburs sticking all over his clothes, not to mention his dog’s fur. As the story goes, George became fascinated with the burs, raced home, and stuck one of the burs under his microscope.

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 . . .

One side will have stiff hooks like the burs ... I’ll 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 dog’s fur.

Thus, George de Mestral invented VELCRO®.

What is the structure of VELCRO®?

What is the function of VELCRO®?

How is the structure of VELCRO® related to its function?

AN INQUIRY ACTIVITY

Describe the structure of these feet. Describe their function. How does the structure of each foot relate to its function?

Describe the structure of these beaks. Describe their function. How does the structure of each beak relate to its function?

How are and related in energy efficient homes?

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 think is the function of this particular kind of roof? What do you notice about the structure of these homes?

How does structure of this particular kind of roof relate to energy use? What do you think is the function of this particular kind of roof? 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?

What do you notice about the structure of this home?

This is the home of former President Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine This is the home of former President Bush in Kennebunkport, Maine. What do you notice about the structure of his home?

How is the of a whale’s mouth ? related to its

Cetaceans are further subdivided into 2 suborders. All whales belong to the scientific order Cetacea, a subdivision of mammals. Cetaceans are further subdivided into 2 suborders. Cetacea toothed not toothed Odontoceti Mysticeti

Mysticetes are baleen whales. Mysticete is Greek for moustache.

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.

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.

. . . and are much, MUCH LARGER than toothed whales. Baleen whales strain swarms of plankton or small fish from the water . . . . . . and are much, MUCH LARGER than toothed whales.

How is the function of baleen related to its structure? Describe the structure of baleen. Describe the function of baleen.