Battered by waves, limpets hang on for dear life – using rows of teeth for a tight suction to the underside of boats and rocks. The teeth of the common limpet (Patella vulgata) are made from the strongest known substance in the world – a composite material of chitin and goethite – which scientists might put to new uses. In this animation based on X-ray computed tomography, teeth producing cells called radula are highlighted in a weaving white line – later rainbow colours highlight different levels of mineralization as teeth develop. Researchers aiming to recreate these impressive gnashers, pull the cells and tissues into a lab dish, guiding the growth of this strong material with chemicals. The limpet’s teeth could one day inspire a building material for implants, or in tiny scaffolds, helping human cells to heal against the turbulent currents inside the body.
Written by John Ankers
Video from work by Robin M. H. Rumney and colleagues
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, St Michael’s Building, White Swan Road, Portsmouth, UK
Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Published in Nature Communications, July 2022
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A disinterested and stoic Gem who was made to be a universal guide to both Universal Aura Quartz and Raven Black Aura Quartz. Since Universal Aura Quartz can take care of herself, Goethite often acts as a companion and translator for Raven Black Aura Quartz. She has the power to utilize practices that are magic in nature.
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