Elasticity key to plants and animals' ability to sting
Date:
June 15, 2020
Source:
Technical University of Denmark
Summary:
A new study explains for the very first time the principles behind
the design of stings, needles, and spikes in animals and plants. The
principles can be directly used in the development of new tools
and medical equipment.
FULL STORY ========================================================================== Kaare Hartvig Jensen and his colleagues at DTU Physics had repeated
experiences where the small glass pipettes they use to extract fluid
from plant cells broke upon contact with the cell wall. This annoyed
the researchers and aroused their interest in similar pointed objects in
nature that do not break when used. That includes thorns on plants such
as cacti and nettles or the stings and spines of many insects, algae, hedgehogs, and other animals.
==========================================================================
The idea of seeking inspiration in nature is not new to Kaare Hartvig
Jensen, who belongs to a growing group of biomimetics researchers. They
focus on exploring nature design to find inspiration for technical
innovations related to, for example, tools and medical equipment.
Based on a wide range of experiments To acquire more knowledge on
the subject, Kaare Hartvig Jensen and his colleagues conducted model experiments and collected data from more than 200 species, examining
the design of various pointed objects in animals and plants.
Their field of study was broad and included pointed parts of plants or
animals used for very different purposes, for example for sticking to
a surface, ingesting nourishment, or defence. The analysis furthermore
included needles or stings on animals and plants which are made of
vastly different materials and sizes, ranging from the smallest viruses
and algae spikes, measuring just 50 nanometres, to the world's longest
pointed part of an animal, the 2.5 metre narwhal tusk.
The researchers also included the design of human-made pointed objects
such as nails, syringe needles, and weapons (ancient spears and lances)
up to six metres long.
Design ensures strength and elasticity The large database allowed the researchers to identify how nature's pointy tools are designed to be
both strong enough to penetrate human or animal skin, for example, and
hard enough to ensure the tip does not break when coming into contact
with the skin.
==========================================================================
"Our results showed that there is a clear correlation between the length
of a needle or sting and its diameter, both close to the tip and where
it attaches to the plant or animal. In this way, both the necessary
strength and elasticity of the tip can be ensured, whether on a nettle
or a mosquito" says Kaare Hartvig Jensen.
"At the same time, it's clear that the pointy tools of nature are on
the very edge of what is physically possible. And it's also clear that
the designs are very similar, regardless of whether we're looking at
the nanoscale spikes of a virus or a swordfish's 1.5 metre bill," says
Kaare Hartvig Jensen.
The findings from the new study have recently been published in the
scientific journal Nature Physics.
The study also included human-made pointed objects that have already
mimicked natural shapes to a large extent.
"This new knowledge of how to calculate the optimal design of a pointed
object can in future be used to design, e.g., syringe needles to optimize
the allocation of medication. Or in designing nails, enabling a reduction
of material consumption without losing the necessary stability," says
Kaare Hartvig Jensen.
The researchers themselves have also used the results to redesign their
glass pipettes so they no longer experience breakage when extracting
fluid from plant cells.
========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Technical_University_of_Denmark. Original written by Anne Kirsten
Frederiksen. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Kaare H. Jensen, Jan Knoblauch, Anneline H. Christensen, Katrine S.
Haaning, Keunhwan Park. Universal elastic mechanism for stinger
design.
Nature Physics, 2020; DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-0930-9 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200615115803.htm
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