Dr. Autumn stated that his team could not get a seta to stick to anything because they had “reduced the gecko to a single hair.” How did they change their method?
A) They performed their experiments at night instead of during the day.
B) Instead of studying different species of geckos, they decided to study different species of spiders.
C) They used a computer to make a digital copy of a single gecko hair.
D) Instead of looking at how a single hair worked, they looked at how all the hairs worked together.
The correct answer is D) Instead of looking at how a single hair worked, they looked at how all the hairs worked together.
Explanation: By shifting their focus from analyzing a single hair of the gecko to understanding the collective function of all the hairs, Dr. Autumn’s team aimed to replicate the adhesive properties that help geckos stick to surfaces. The unique ability of gecko feet to adhere is due to the complex interaction of many hairs working in unison, rather than the action of a single hair alone. This holistic approach allowed them to better mimic the natural adherence of gecko feet.