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Researchers uncovered a biological adaption in heart cockles (Corculum cardissa), a kind of bivalve found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. These clams have unusual features in their shells that function similarly to fiber optics, directing sunlight to symbiotic algae living within. This permits the clams to give their algae with the light they require for photosynthesis while also sheltering them from dangerous UV radiation. The algae, in turn, provide the clams with vital nutrients such as carbohydrates.
Sunlight Channeling Through Shells
Heart cockles are tiny bivalves, about the size of a walnut. Their shells are coated in microscopic transparent patches that have been shown to behave similarly to fibre-optic cables. This capacity is related to the structure of their shells, which contain aragonite, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate. Microscopic investigations found that the aragonite crystals form tubes that enable light to flow through precisely while blocking harmful UV rays.
In a research published in the journal Nature Communications, Dakota McCoy, an evolutionary biophysicist at the University of Chicago, and her team found that the shells allow more than twice as much photosynthetically useful light to penetrate as UV radiation. This technique may help reduce coral bleaching and other clam-related problems, which can be amplified by climate change.
Unique design provides technological insights
The fiber-optic-like structures identified in heart cockles are not only remarkable in a biological context, but they also have potential uses in technology. Researchers believe that aragonite's inherent light-channeling qualities might inspire advances in optical systems, notably wireless communication and precise measurement instruments.
According to Boon Ooi, a photonics researcher at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, imitating these structures might lead to more efficient light gathering systems that outperform present fibre-optic technology.
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