KAMRI: Hey guys, Kamri here,
chilling in the sweet loft.
So today, instead of looking at
another piece of technology,
I thought we'd check out
something amazing in nature.
Like my pet gecko, Apollo.
He climbs on just
about anything!
But his feet don't have any
talons, claws, or hooks.
He doesn't even
leave a slime trail.
To be honest, I have no idea how
he's even staying to that wall.
Time to get some help from
National Geographic Kids.
Nat Geo Kids
Expert Vending Machine!
Hmm, more expensive
than I remember.
DAVID: Hey Kamri.
KAMRI: Hey.
DAVID: I'm David Gruber,
how can I help today?
KAMRI: How do geckos
climb everything
on just their plain feet?
DAVID: Every gecko's
foot has a secret.
If you look closely,
their feet aren't so plain.
Let's check out
my high resolution
photos of gecko feet.
KAMRI: Whoa! These are cool!
DAVID: I love collecting
photos of geckos.
KAMRI: They are amazing!
DAVID: Thanks! Anyway.
Each toe of a gecko foot
is packed with millions of
tiny hair-like
structures called setae.
These hairs allow them to
cling to almost any surface.
KAMRI: I've got a ton of hair,
but I don't cling to anything.
DAVID: That's because your hair
isn't the same as a gecko's!
Setae are way thinner, one
tenth the size of a human hair.
And they're specifically
designed to stick to surfaces.
KAMRI: Maybe we should get a
closer look on Apollo's feet.
DAVID: Great idea!
KAMRI: Whoa!
Apollo's setae have
a life of their own.
I wish my hair
waved like that.
DAVID: Don't we all?
There's a reason
for this movement.
Whenever Apollo takes a step,
the setae flatten to make
close contact
with the surface.
KAMRI: To create a larger
area of contact with the wall?
DAVID: Exactly!
Now check out the
tips of the hairs.
On the tip of each air
are hundreds of split ends.
KAMRI: Ugh, I hate split ends!
DAVID: Yeah, but
geckos love them!
The split ends fan out
to grip the surface.
The grip of a single
strand isn't strong,
but all of them together
can keep Apollo clinging
where ever he wants to go.
Where is he going, anyway?
KAMRI: I think
under the radiator.
We should get out of here!
DAVID: Cool, let's go.
KAMRI: Now that you
know how that works,
catch up on all the other
episodes of How Things Work
by clicking right here.
And also make sure you
subscribe to Nat Geo Kids
by clicking down here.
See you next time. Bye!
Captioned by Cotter
Captioning Services.
