This is a great vehicle to save themselves from floods. Vehicles that can assemble themselves in 100 seconds and can maintain thousands to millions of passengers safely, and floating for days, even up to several weeks.
Group floating fire ants together is incredible natural engineering. Scientists trying to find out how ants create a safe raft and durable than their own bodies.
With a raft, they can save themselves from floods in the original habitat of fire ants in South America, as well as migrate to distant places.
The team of scientists led by Nathan Mlot, bioengineering experts at Georgia Institute of Technology, United States, collecting fire ants on the sidewalk and filmed as well as freezing the ants when they form a floating group. Once placed into the water in the laboratory, groups of ants that spherical spreading.
Ants were holding, using claws, jaws, and sticky pads on their feet, the discharge of oil, which enable them to cling to the slippery surface. Once the life raft was finished, its shape resembles a pancake.
With a raft, they can save themselves from floods in the original habitat of fire ants in South America, as well as migrate to distant places.
The team of scientists led by Nathan Mlot, bioengineering experts at Georgia Institute of Technology, United States, collecting fire ants on the sidewalk and filmed as well as freezing the ants when they form a floating group. Once placed into the water in the laboratory, groups of ants that spherical spreading.
Ants were holding, using claws, jaws, and sticky pads on their feet, the discharge of oil, which enable them to cling to the slippery surface. Once the life raft was finished, its shape resembles a pancake.
Ant's outer body part, called the cuticle, are hydrophobic or water repellent. Surface rough cuticles making ants may hold the air in his body when submerged in water and form a layer Plastron.
"Large group who were holding fire ants that have anti-water is higher, so that all members of the group to float at the same time prevent water entering the raft," said Mlot.
Ant raft that take advantage of a small ant's body. "On a scale of millimeters, the ant has a great power, high speed, and ability to withstand the air bag when immersed in water, which ultimately makes them antiair raft," said Mlot in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This capability seems to be lost in a bigger size."
Unfortunately, the raft of ants that have a weakness. Dispersed and the raft will sink if the water were given soap or other surfactants that destroy the surface tension of water.
"Large group who were holding fire ants that have anti-water is higher, so that all members of the group to float at the same time prevent water entering the raft," said Mlot.
Ant raft that take advantage of a small ant's body. "On a scale of millimeters, the ant has a great power, high speed, and ability to withstand the air bag when immersed in water, which ultimately makes them antiair raft," said Mlot in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "This capability seems to be lost in a bigger size."
Unfortunately, the raft of ants that have a weakness. Dispersed and the raft will sink if the water were given soap or other surfactants that destroy the surface tension of water.
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