SCIENCE

Homologous structures are similar structures in related organisms. The most important thing to
remember about homologous structures is that they share common ancestry.

For example, a chimpanzee’s arm and a human’s arm are homologous structures. Both sets of
arms have a similar structure and use and chimpanzees and humans share a common ancestor.

Analogous structures are similar structures in unrelated organisms. These structures are similar
because they do the same job, not because they share common ancestry.

For example, dolphins and sharks both have fins, even though they aren’t related. Both species
developed fins because of how (and where) they live.

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Many animals have body parts that look similar, even though they don’t share common
functionality. Other animals have body parts that look totally different, but have a shared
background. Here’s the difference between homologous and analogous structures:

 Homologous structures are structures that may look or function differently from related
organisms.

 Analogous structures are structures that look and function similarly from unrelated
organisms.

ANALOGOUS

A great example of analogous structures are a bat’s wing and a bee’s wing. Bats and bees do not
share common ancestry, so the structures cannot be homologous.

Both bat wings and bee wings serve a common purpose - helping bats and bees fly! The
structures look similar on the outside, too. However, their internal structures are very different -
bat wings have a bony structure with muscles, while bee wings are membranous extensions

HOMOLOGOUS

A great example of homologous structures are the wings of a bat and the arms of a human. Bats
and humans are both mammals, so they share a common ancestry.

Both a bat’s wing and a human’s arm share a similar internal bone structure, even though they
look very different externally. The wing and the arm also perform different functions - wings
help bats fly, while arms help humans interact with their world in a very different way

VESTGIAL STRUCTURE

A vestigial structure is a biological structure that has lost a major ancestral function and is
usually drastically reduced in size.

Examples of vestigial structures include the human appendix, the pelvic bone of a snake, and the
wings of flightless birds

Biodiversity is a term that describes how varied living things are in a specific area. How many
kinds of living things can be found in your community? Think about a place in your community;
try to identify organisms that can be found in your locality and are valuable to your life. Why do
you consider those organisms important to you?

Organisms are part of biodiversity and may be economically and ecologically valuable. Their
products are source of food, medicine, clothing, shelter, and energy. These organisms are also
important in maintaining balance in the ecosystem as they performing their specific roles. Some
species maintain the quality of natural bodies of water; some prevent soil erosion and floods,
cycle minerals in the soil and absorb pollutants. Others feed on insects and pests which control
the population of organisms in a certain environment, thus making the ecosystem balance and
stable.

Glossary of Terms

 Biodiversity the variety of life forms in a particular ecosystem

 Carrying capacity the maximum number of organisms that an environment can support
 Ecosystem a community of organisms that live, feed and interact with the environment
 Exponential growth a constant increase in the number of population
 Limiting factors factors that control the growth of a population
 Logistic growth a population growth in which the growth rate decreases with increasing
number of organisms, until it becomes zero when the population reaches its carrying
capacity
 Population the total number of organisms belonging to the same species in a particular
environment
 Population density the measurement of population per unit area Stability the ability of an
ecosystem to be self-regulating, and again become steady after a disturbance