Analogous Structure
Analogous structure explained in an easy to understand way:
Imagine you're trying to open a jar, but you can't find the jar opener, so you improvise with a rubber glove, a spoon, or even a towel. Just like these different tools that serve the same purpose of opening the jar despite their varied shapes and functions, analogous structures in biology refer to body parts in different species that perform the same function but have different structures and evolutionary origins. The jar opener is like a bat's wing, the spoon is like a bird's wing, and the towel is like a butterfly's wing—all different tools evolved separately to achieve the same goal of flight, just as you use different tools to open a jar.
Practice Version
Analogous Structure: Body parts of different species that have the same function but different structure and origin. Analogous structure. Analogous structures are features in different species that have similar functions but are not inherited from a common ancestor.