Analogous Structure

Real World Example

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.