RESEARCH

SHARK SKIN Shark skin feels exactly like sandpaper because it is made up of tiny teeth-like structures called placoid scales, also known as dermal denticles. These scales point towards the tail and helps to reduce friction from surrounding water when the shark swims. Because of this, if someone rubbed the skin from the head towards the tail, it would feel very smooth. In the opposite direction it feels very rough like sandpaper. As the shark grows, the placoid scales do not increase in size, but rather the shark grows more scales. The silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) has small scales giving it a "silky" feel to the touch.

Researchers are using shark skin as a model for creating new coatings that prevent adhesion of algae and barnacles to boats. The new coating is modeled after sharks' placoid scales, which have a rectangular base embedded in the skin with tiny spines or bristles that poke up from the surface that prevent things from attaching to the shark's skin.

LOTUS PLANT
The Lotuses I closely observed were in various life stages; many were well-established (at Terra Flora and the Chicago Botanic Garden), and one was a young plant (in the water garden at my home). The plants were large overall, both in how much space they took and the size of leaves. They send the cylindrical stalks of both the leaves and flowers from the muddy bottom of the water high into the air.
The tuberous roots were not visible beneath the mud, but I could see the shoots emerging from the mud and out of the water. Each individual stem of leaf and flower rises separately from the root/muck (group consciousness?). The stems are hollow but extremely tough on the outside, with small, rather pointed “dots” along the entire length of the stem.
The leaves and flowers are borne high above the water’s surface, unlike those of the water lily, which float directly on the surface of the water. Initially, the leaves and flower buds are very pointy. The leaves are like tips of an arrowhead shooting up and unfurling into large, rounded, very broad cups. The cup-like leaves have a central “dot” which collects drops of water. This central, circular marking shows in the flower as well. Dew/water droplets also collect around the edges of the leaves and pods.

LOTUS -FLOWER

Flowers - large and attractive with lots of petals. They tend to be rosy-pink or white coloured. They are sacred in Buddhist and Hindu religions and are frequently represented in South Asian art and literature

TERMITE MOUNDS

CHICKEN EGG SHELL

What gives the egg shell its hardy strength is calcium carbonate – a common substance found in rocks. The team found that calcium carbonate made up almost 98 per cent of an egg shell. The remaining two per cent comprises proteins which act as the "cement" to hold the calcium carbonate together.
"Calcium carbonate acts as the bricks for construction of the house. But bricks alone can't build a strong house. You need cement to hold these building blocks together to form a mechanically strong structure," said Assoc Prof Suresh.