Biologists use vibrating blades to neatly
slice tissue for microscopic examination.
While scientists thought of this technique
only about 50 years ago, a biological version has existed for millions of years, sayl a
team of scientists led by Jurgen Tautz of
the University of Wurzburg, Germany
(Science. Vol 267, No 5194).
The team reports that leaf-cutting
ants emit chirps that make both the
ant and leaf vibrate at a frequency of
1,000 hertz, allowing'the insects to cut
leaves smoothly.
The scientists simulated the ants' cutting process with isolated ant mandibles in
a vibrating device. They found that it was
more difficult to cut the leaves with the
mandibles still.
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