Biomimicry
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Lizard's Water-Funnelling Skin Copied in the Lab

Lizard's Water-Funnelling Skin Copied in the Lab | Biomimicry | Scoop.it

"Scientists have unpicked how the skin of the Texas horned lizard funnels water towards its mouth - and copied the principles in a plastic version. This reptile can collect water from anywhere, including the sand it walks on; the fluid then travels to its mouth through channels between its scales. A German-Austrian team quantified the skin's key features, notably the way its grooves narrow towards the snout. The bio-inspired plastic copy could have some engineering applications. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the researchers suggest that the "passive, directional liquid transport" they have described might find a home in distilleries, heat exchangers, or small medical devices where condensation is a problem."

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Physicists Work Out Why Wet Skin Wrinkles

Physicists Work Out Why Wet Skin Wrinkles | Biomimicry | Scoop.it

"If you have ever sat in the bath and wondered why your fingers go wrinkly when wet, it is because the dead outer layer of your skin is made up of matrix-like structures called corneocytes. They let the skin absorb water easily when wet, yet quickly become much less permeable to moisture when conditions are dry. Physicists in Germany have now modelled a corneocyte and carried out calculations to see how its volume changes as it takes up water. As well as providing important information about how our skin reacts to its surroundings, the new work could help researchers to develop new materials, such as fabrics, that mimic the properties of skin."

Arjen ten Have's comment, February 7, 2014 10:02 AM
This explains how it works, nothing to do with why. This was elucidated last year or thereabouts. Wrinkling of hands (and feet which are basically clumsy hands) result in inclreased sliding resistance, hence, things becomes less slippery when wet!