Cohesive and adhesive forces play crucial roles in biology, affecting behaviors in organisms like insects and processes like water transport in plants.
Cohesive forces are the attractive forces between similar molecules, such as water molecules attracting each other. In contrast, adhesive forces occur between different substances, like water molecules and the insect's feet. When an insect walks on water, the adhesive force between the insect's feet and water is greater than the cohesive force between water molecules.
In the case of water rising in thin tubes like a straw, the adhesive force is stronger than the cohesive force. This difference allows water to climb up the walls of the tube due to adhesion to the tube's surface, overcoming gravity.
Understanding these forces is crucial for various biological phenomena, such as the ability of insects like the water strider to stay afloat on water due to surface tension, a result of cohesive forces. These forces play a vital role in processes like water transport in plants and unique behaviors seen in nature.
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