An efficient mechanism for collecting nectar, based on the utilization of the blood flow in the tongue of bats, is reported for the first time.
What do nectar-eating bats and diligent cleaners have in common? Both want to collect fluids quickly and efficiently and there is both
These have mission-specific equipment.
A study led by PhD student Kelly Harper, from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Brown University in the USA, and which was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describes for the first time a previously undescribed mechanism found in the tongue of the Glossophaga soricina bat and used for extremely rapid collection of liquids.
The flight of bats consumes a lot of energy, so collecting nectar quickly has the advantage of shortening the flight time and saving energy.
The nectar collection mechanism is based on the utilization of the blood stream to attach to small hair-like bumps on the bat's tongue. The tongue of the bat is a hydrostatic muscle of constant volume, similar to the trunk of the elephant and the arms of the octopus. When stretched, the tongue becomes thinner but also longer, and thus it stretches farther in the direction of the nectar. That contraction of the muscle squeezes blood, temporarily, towards the hair-like bumps. As blood is transferred to the tip of the tongue, the bumps move forward along the vertical axis of the tongue. In their retracted position, they add not only surface area but also width, and allow the tongue to function as an effective tool for collecting nectar. The scientists did know about the existence of the bumps on the tongue, but they always thought that they were passive and did not change over time.
The bat's hydrodynamic "wiper" features speed and reliability that engineers can only envy. The general stretching and straightening of the tip of the tongue happens within an eighth of a second!
In anatomical studies the bio-connections of the blood vessels and the nodules were observed. In an experiment, Harper was able to make the lumps stick together. In video footage, she observed that when the bumps filled with blood they stretched and straightened, and their color changed from light pink to bright red, further evidence of the role of blood in the straightening process.
Other nectar-eating bats and other animals are thought to have a similar mechanism. Other species, such as the hummingbird and bees have a different suction mechanism. Each of these mechanisms can be a fertile ground for ideas for technological applications. Like, for example, a miniature robot for surgeries, which excels in flexibility, ability to change length and dynamic surface, or just an innovative wiper with a faster ability to collect liquids...
In the video attached to the link you can see a photo of the nectar collection process and an explanation of the mechanism by the researcher.
