Abstract:Reversible, suction based adhesion employed by many marine organisms may provide unique, adaptable technologies for biologically inspired grasping devices that function in difficult submerged environments. Here a theoretical framework based on measurable structural, material, and topological properties is developed to better understand a critical aspect of suction based attachment strategies: the leakage rate. The utility of the approach is demonstrated on an experimental apparatus designed to mimic the flow c… Show more
“…Remora adhesion is accomplished by a cascade of hierarchical biomechanical mechanisms, the initiation of which is only possible if the remora is definitively in contact with a host surface. Presumably, the push-rod mechanoreceptor complexes sense contact forces imparted from pressure against a host; attachment contact forces are a combination of suction pressure and elastic yield of the soft tissue of the disc lip [38]. Resting suction pressure differentials (in the absence of shear forces) are on the order of −0.5 ± 0.1 kPa s.e.…”
Section: Hypothesized Mechanosensation In Remorasmentioning
Remoras are fishes that piggyback onto larger marine fauna via an adhesive disc to increase locomotor efficiency, likelihood of finding mates and access to prey. Attaching rapidly to a large, fast-moving host is no easy task, and while research to date has focused on how the disc supports adhesion, no attention has been paid to how or if remoras are able to sense attachment. We identified push-rod-like mechanoreceptor complexes embedded in the soft lip of the remora adhesive disc that are known in other organisms to respond to touch and shear forces. This is, to our knowledge, the first time such mechanoreceptor complexes are described in fishes as they were only known previously in monotremes. The presence of push-rod-like mechanoreceptor complexes suggests not only that fishes may be able to sense their environment in ways not heretofore described but that specialized tactile mechanoreceptor complexes may be a more basal vertebrate feature than previously thought.
“…Remora adhesion is accomplished by a cascade of hierarchical biomechanical mechanisms, the initiation of which is only possible if the remora is definitively in contact with a host surface. Presumably, the push-rod mechanoreceptor complexes sense contact forces imparted from pressure against a host; attachment contact forces are a combination of suction pressure and elastic yield of the soft tissue of the disc lip [38]. Resting suction pressure differentials (in the absence of shear forces) are on the order of −0.5 ± 0.1 kPa s.e.…”
Section: Hypothesized Mechanosensation In Remorasmentioning
Remoras are fishes that piggyback onto larger marine fauna via an adhesive disc to increase locomotor efficiency, likelihood of finding mates and access to prey. Attaching rapidly to a large, fast-moving host is no easy task, and while research to date has focused on how the disc supports adhesion, no attention has been paid to how or if remoras are able to sense attachment. We identified push-rod-like mechanoreceptor complexes embedded in the soft lip of the remora adhesive disc that are known in other organisms to respond to touch and shear forces. This is, to our knowledge, the first time such mechanoreceptor complexes are described in fishes as they were only known previously in monotremes. The presence of push-rod-like mechanoreceptor complexes suggests not only that fishes may be able to sense their environment in ways not heretofore described but that specialized tactile mechanoreceptor complexes may be a more basal vertebrate feature than previously thought.
“…3a). Unequal pressurization in neighboring lamellar compartments would promote seep from outside the disc leading to equilibrium 12 ; thereby causing loss of suction adhesion.Figure 2Disc of a remora attached to glass; tissue appears lighter in color when it is sealed to the glass. The fleshy epithelial lip (FL) surrounds the edge of disc and creates the suction seal.…”
Remora fishes adhere to, and maintain long-term, reversible attachment with, surfaces of varying roughness and compliance under wetted high-shear conditions using an adhesive disc that evolved from the dorsal fin spines typical of other fishes. Evolution of this complex hierarchical structure required extensive reorganization of the skull and fin spines, but the functional role of the soft tissues of the disc are poorly understood. Here I show that remora cranial veins are highly-modified in comparison to those of other vertebrates; they are transposed anteriorly and enlarged, and lie directly ventral to the disc on the dorsum of the cranium. Ancestrally, these veins lie inside the neurocranium, in the dura ventral to the brain, and return blood from the eyes, nares, and brain to the heart. Repositioning of these vessels to lie in contact with the ventral surface of the disc lamellae implies functional importance associated with the adhesive mechanism. The position of the anterior cardinal sinus suggests that it may aid in pressurization equilibrium during attachment by acting as a hydraulic differential.
“…Michael et al [13] proposed a model to estimate the interface permeability and suction attachment leakage rate based on marine organisms, pointed out some important factors of the adhesion capacity, including the importance of skin mucous layer, the roughness of the attachment site, and the soft sealing lip ring. Jason et al [12]dissected the remora`s sucker, and modeled the disk with microCT scanning, analyzed the influence of the structure on the adhesion capacity of the sucker.…”
Adhesion system is of great importance to underwater grasp and manipulation, however, the adhesion systems artificially designed at present are often inefficient, complex and unstable. The natural organisms evolved adhesion are more efficient, finer and more ingenious. Learning adhesion mechanism from nature adhesion system is of great importance. In this paper, we reviewed four kinds of underwater creatures, whose living environment range from ocean to streamlet to mammal body fluid, and analyzed their adhesion mechanism both from macroscopic and microcosmic perspective, and we concluded that the adhesion system of natural underwater organisms generally adopted negative pressure adhesion and assisted with other kinds of adhesion forces to resist tangential force. The adhesion system was a macrostructure combined with micro and nano structures, and the macro structure played a supporting role to form negative pressure. The microstructure was mainly auxiliary to form better seal and increase friction force to resist shear force. Finally, we suggested that, we could study the adhesion system mainly from the perspective of micro and nano structure, and the study of the interfacial force of the liquid-solid interface may also help.
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