Page 47 - Biomimetics: Technology Imitates Nature

Harun Yahya

block ultraviolet rays and protect against any possible wear and tear. In
nature also, animals and plants produce in their own cells a variety of
substances to protect their outer surfaces against external damage. The
complex chemical compounds produced by the bodies of living things as-
tound scientists, and designers seek to imitate many examples.
Coating wooden surfaces is important to protect them from dirt and
wear and tear, particularly against water, which can enter and rot soft tim-

The external surfaces of leaves are covered with a thin, polished coating that water-
proofs the plant. This protection is essential because carbon dioxide, which plants ab-
sorb from the air and is essential to their survival, is found between the leaf cells. If
these spaces between the cells filled with rainwater, the carbon dioxide level would fall
and the process of photosynthesis, essential to plants’ survival, would slow down. But
thanks to this thin coating on their leaves’ surface, plants are able to carry on photo-
synthesis with no difficulty.

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