‘Researchers
at the University of
Tennessee have discovered the secret behind the ivy plant’s amazing
gripping abilities – they appear to secrete nanoparticles that help them
grip to surfaces. Microscopic rootlets spring out from the stems and
secrete a “little yellowish matter”, as first described by Charles
Darwin in 1876. Atomic force microscopy has now lifted the lid on the
yellowish matter and revealed that it contains uniform particles 70nm
across. The researchers believe the nanoparticles are produced inside
the stem and then secreted out through the rootlets. The research team
is now working out the mechanism by which the ivy produces nanoparticles
and hope to work out exactly how they help the plant stick to surfaces.
They will also investigate whether they could use ivy to produce other
nanoparticles.’
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