Nanoscale Material Heterogeneity of Glowworm Capture Threads Revealed by AFM.

ABSTRACT: Adhesive materials used by many arthropods for biological functions incorporate sticky substances and a supporting material that operate synergistically by exploiting substrate attachment and energy dissipation. While there has been much focus on the composition and properties of the sticky glues of these bio-composites, less attention has been given to the materials that support them. In particular, as these materials are primarily responsible for dissipation during adhesive pull-off, little is known of the structures that give rise to functionality, especially at the nano-scale. In this study we used tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) to analyze unstretched and stretched glowworm (Arachnocampa tasmaniensis) capture threads and revealed nano-scale features corresponding to vari

SUBMITTER: Piorkowski D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8226719 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature