I argue that while mechanistic and teleological explanations are distinctly different, both are required in order to thoroughly explain a phenomenon. In this essay, I will describe mechanistic, atomistic, and teleological explanations, highlight their key differences, and then explain why one cannot completely understand a phenomenon without incorporating a teleological component. A mechanistic explanation is one that describes “how” a phenomenon (such as breathing, growing, or eating) occurs. It conveys the physiological or physical movements and changes involved in that phenomenon. Mechanistic explanations adhere to the idea that a phenomenon occurs solely due to perfectly (though randomly) timed interactions between various objects, and these types of explanations describe the sequence of physical and geometrical changes that the object undergoes during a phenomenon. An atomistic explanation is a type of mechanistic explanation that describes a phenomenon in terms of the movement of the object’s atoms. Atomistic explanations are based on the belief that atoms are individual objects in constant motion, prone to frequent collisions in the “void”. An atomistic explanation describes the sequence and order of phases that atoms undergo during a phenomenon. One example of a mechanistic explanation is the phenomenon of a puppy growing into an adult dog. From a mechanistic approach, the first stage of the dog’s development occurs when the embryo begins to form. In this