Felipe Orozco1‡, Brian Alfaro-González1‡, Yendry Corrales Ureña1, Karolina Villalobos1, Angie Sanchez1, Francisco Bravo1, José Roberto Vega1, Orlando Argüello-Miranda1†*
Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.5, No.3-4, pp. 199-207, 2017, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2017.634110
Abstract As an outcome of millions of years of evolution, biological systems have developed different methods to interact with their surroundings. Many of these adaptations, such as secretions, light-interacting surfaces, biochemical active compounds, and many other survival strategies, are phenomena occurring at the nanometric scale. In this review, we describe how extracellular nanometric structures are responsible for manipulating energy and matter, creating some of the emergent properties of life. Iridescent colors in birds’ feathers, the manipulation of wettability of insects’ exoskeletons, the adhesive properties of nanopatterned secretions and the ability to polarize light are examples of the potential of extracellular nanostructures.… More >
Login
Register
