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Mystery #3Tier 3biology / geckos / grip

How does a gecko run straight up a smooth wall and across the ceiling?

A gecko can dash straight up a pane of glass and then scurry upside down across the ceiling without tumbling off. It uses no glue, no hooks and no little suction cups. Peel a sticky note off a window and it soon gives up, yet the gecko clings on all day. So how does a gecko run straight up a smooth wall and across the ceiling?

A tokay gecko clinging to a white painted doorframe, its spread toes gripping the smooth surface.
Photo: Jnguyen327 · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

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