Article: About form and function: humans have been classifying organisms since before recorded history, cataloging flora and fauna for our own species' benefit. Recognition of particular forms--the bark of a tree, shape of a leaf, or color of a mushroom cap--could reveal important insight as to the organism's functions, such as providing food, fiber, or medicine.(Science Shorts: Classic classroom activities that emphasize science-process skills)

The relationship between form and function originated eons before humans were here to note it and is one of biology's most fundamental concepts. Evidence for how form relates to function can be observed in every level of an organism, from the hook of an eagle's beak to the intricate shape of a protein molecule.

Understanding the relationship between form and function in organisms is an important benchmark in science education and is listed as one of the five "unifying concepts" by the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996). It is a concept that children can grasp at an early age: Just as a hair comb is shaped to pull through tangles or a baseball glove ...

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