for the whale. A baleen is similar to a bristle and consists of keratin, the same substance found in human fingernails, skin and hair. Some whales, such as the bowhead whale, have baleen of differing lengths. Other whales, such as the gray whale, only use one side of their baleen. These baleen bristles are arranged in plates across the upper jaw of whales.

Depending on the species, a baleen plate