Plant Biomechanics : An Overview and Prospectus 1 (original) (raw)
Related papers
Plant biomechanics in the 21st century
Journal of Experimental Botany, 2019
Plant biomechanics in the 21st century Living beings obey physical laws, and this applies at all scales of the organism, from the interaction of the whole organism with its environment to subcellular processes. Biomechanics research enhances our understanding of the manner in which biological organisms cope with and exploit physical principles and how the functional design of cells, tissues, and processes involves not only biochemical but also mechanical concepts. Neither the cell biologist nor the ecologist can afford to ignore mechanical aspects when investigating the relationship between genotype and phenotype. As we continue to decipher the physical and engineering principles that determine plant structure and function, engineers and architects continue to be inspired by and mimic these to let human-created design benefit from structural and organizational principles that have proven their efficiency through their evolutionary survival.
Mechanics without Muscle: Biomechanical Inspiration from the Plant World
Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2010
Synopsis Plant and animal biomechanists have much in common. Although their frame of reference differs, they think about the natural world in similar ways. While researchers studying animals might explore airflow around flapping wings, the actuation of muscles in arms and legs, or the material properties of spider silk, researchers studying plants might explore the flow of water around fluttering seaweeds, the grasping ability of climbing vines, or the material properties of wood. Here we summarize recent studies of plant biomechanics highlighting several current research themes in the field: expulsion of high-speed reproductive projectiles, generation of slow movements by shrinking and swelling cell walls, effects of ontogenetic shifts in mechanical properties of stems, flexible reconfiguration and material properties of seaweeds under crashing waves, and the development of botanically-inspired commercial products. Our hope is that this synopsis will resonate with both plant and animal biologists, encourage cross-pollination across disciplines, and promote fruitful interdisciplinary collaborations in the future.
Plant biomechanics: an overview and prospectus
American Journal of Botany, 2006
We provide a brief overview of the articles appearing in this special issue and place them in the context of the long history of the study of plant biomechanics and what we judge to be the next major intellectual and/or technological challenges in this field.
Fast Motion of Plants: from Biomechanics to Biomimetics
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea) can capture insects by perceiving more than one consecutive touches, with closure motion occurring within a fraction of a second, a speed that is among the fastest in the plant kingdom. The fast motion of plants such as Dionaea, Aldrovanda (waterwheel plants) and Utricularia (bladderworts) represent fascinating examples in nature where physics, biochemistry, and engineering principles work together to fulfill biological functions. A more comprehensive understanding of these carnivorous behaviors in plants can be achieved with the joint efforts by researchers from biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering. Moreover, the principles learnt from these natural systems can be employed to develop bio-inspired structures and devices with a variety of engineering applications.
Biomechanics of vascular plant as template for engineering design
Materialia, 2020
Plants are biocomposites with a hierarchical organization and multifunctionality with several unique characteristics different from animals (lack of motion and neurological control). Consequently, a stronger correlation is expected between plant structure, function, and mechanical response. Insights into these changes can have broad implications in bioinspired design, biobased material development, and precision agriculture. We use nanomechanical methods to investigate structural and compositional changes in sunflower plants at longitudinal stages of growth. Specifically, we use Scanning Electron Microscopy for microstructural analysis and Raman Spectroscopy and Optical Microscopy for compositional analysis. These studies together revealed several aspects of longitudinal growth. Specifically, the rapid plant growth during the vegetative stage (28% from week 4 to week 6) significantly slows (8%) during the transition to the reproductive stage (week 6 to week 8) and beyond. During the transition period, the thickness of the vascular zone increases significantly (28%), accompanied by modest thickening of cell walls (8%) and increases in cell diameter (4%), all of which impacting fluid flow dynamics. The increase in the vascular zone comes with a corresponding decrease internal flexible hydraulic chamber (17%), indicating the underlying mechanics of loss of flexibility. Raman spectroscopy revealed a high concentration of metabolites (molybdenum sulfide and crocetin), which are responsible for stress signaling and plant defense in the early stages of growth. Together, the study is first of its kind to quantify structure-composition changes of stem growth, Several engineering implications of the insight is discussed for applications varying from bioinspired design, biocomposites, and devices for precision agriculture.
A mechanical perspective on foliage leaf form and function
New Phytologist, 1999
The mechanical behaviour of large foliage leaves in response to static and dynamic mechanical forces is reviewed in the context of a few basic engineering principles and illustrated in terms of species drawn from a variety of vascular plant lineages. When loaded under their own weight or subjected to externally applied forces, petioles simultaneously bend and twist, and thus mechanically operate as cantilevered beams. The stresses that develop in petioles reach their maximum intensities either at their surface or very near their centroid axes, where they are accommodated either by living and hydrostatic tissues (parenchyma and collenchyma) or dead and stiff tissues (sclerenchyma and vascular fibres) depending on the size of the leaf and the species from which it is drawn. Allometric analyses of diverse species indicate size-dependent variations in petiole length, transverse shape, geometry and stiffness that accord well with those required to maintain a uniform tip-deflection for leaves with laminae differing in mass. When dynamically loaded, the laminae of many broad-leaved species fold and curl into streamlined objects, thereby reducing the drag forces that they experience and transmit to their subtending petioles and stems. From a mechanical perspective, the laminae of these species operate as stress-skin panels that distribute point loads more or less equally over their entire surface. Although comparatively little is known about the mechanical structure and behaviour of foliage leaves, new advances in engineering theory and computer analyses reveal these organs to be far more complex than previously thought. For example, finite-element analyses of the base of palm leaves reveal that stresses are decreased when these structures are composed of anisotropic as opposed to isotropic materials (tissues).
American Journal of Botany, 2006
Self-supporting plant stems are slender, erect structures that remain standing while growing in highly variable mechanical environments. Such ability is not merely related to an adapted mechanical design in terms of material-specific stiffness and stem tapering. As many terrestrial standing animals do, plant stems regulate posture through active and coordinated control of motor systems and acclimate their skeletal growth to prevailing loads. This analogy probably results from mechanical challenges on standing organisms in an aerial environment with low buoyancy and high turbulence. But the continuous growth of plants submits them to a greater challenge. In response to these challenges, land plants implemented mixed skeletal and motor functions in the same anatomical elements. There are two types of kinematic design: (1) plants with localized active movement (arthrophytes) and (2) plants with continuously distributed active movements (contortionists). The control of these active supporting systems involves gravi-and mechanoperception, but little is known about their coordination at the whole plant level. This more active view of the control of plant growth and form has been insufficiently considered in the modeling of plant architecture. Progress in our understanding of plant posture and mechanical acclimation will require new biomechanical models of plant architectural development.
Plant biomechanics in an ecological context
American Journal of Botany, 2006
Fundamental plant traits such as support, anchorage, and protection against environmental stress depend substantially on biomechanical design. The costs, subsequent trade-offs, and effects on plant performance of mechanical traits are not well understood, but it appears that many of these traits have evolved in response to abiotic and biotic mechanical forces and resource deficits. The relationships between environmental stresses and mechanical traits can be specific and direct, as in responses to strong winds, with structural reinforcement related to plant survival. Some traits such as leaf toughness might provide protection from multiple forms of stress. In both cases, the adaptive value of mechanical traits may vary between habitats, so is best considered in the context of the broader growth environment, not just of the proximate stress. Plants can also show considerable phenotypic plasticity in mechanical traits, allowing adjustment to changing environments across a range of spatial and temporal scales. However, it is not always clear whether a mechanical property is adaptive or a consequence of the physiology associated with stress. Mechanical traits do not only affect plant survival; evidence suggests they have downstream effects on ecosystem organization and functioning (e.g., diversity, trophic relationships, and productivity), but these remain poorly explored.
Mechanical forces as information: an integrated approach to plant and animal development
Frontiers in Plant Science, 2014
Carefully read the entire proof and mark all corrections in the appropriate place, using the Adobe Reader editing tools (Adobe Help), alternatively provide them in the Discussion Forum indicating the line number of the proof. Do not forget to reply to the queries. We do not accept corrections in the form of edited manuscripts. In order to ensure the timely publication of your article, please submit the corrections within 48 hours.
Mechanical behaviour of plant tissues: composite materials or structures?
Journal of Experimental Biology, 1999
The mechanical characteristics of the strengthening tissue of young axes of Aristolochia macrophylla were studied in successive loading-unloading cycles in tension. Elastic, viscoelastic and plastic deformations could be distinguished. After the first cycle, the material was in a state different from its original state, to which it returned only partially and/or slowly. Internal ‘microstructural’ prestresses are considered as an explanation for the mechanical behaviour seen in Aristolochia macrophylla and several other plants.