Quantifying the attachment strength of climbing plants: A new approach

Steinbrecher, Tina; Danninger, Elisabeth; Harder, Deane; Speck, Thomas; Kraft, O.; Schwaiger, Ruth

doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2009.10.003

Cited by 53 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…The remaining force will be distributed between the individual adhesive pads depending on their arrangement and the morphology of the tendril branches. Previous mechanical studies on comparable tendril systems in other species showed that the force is not evenly distributed between all pads (e.g., Parthenocissus tricuspidata; Steinbrecher et al 2010). In extreme cases, one of the pads may exclusively bear (nearly) the entire load, and if it fails, the remaining load will be distributed between the remaining pads, or one of these pads will again take over the main load, and so on.…”

Section: Structure and Mechanical Consequences Of The Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…These perversions play an important mechanical role in reducing the bending and torsional stresses in the coils of the tendril when stretched or compressed due to external loads (Goriely and Taylor 1998). In addition to the coiling, the length of the tendrils and tendril branches and the shape of the branching play an important role in energy dissipation and distribution (e.g., Speck et al 2000;Steinbrecher et al 2010). The remaining force will be distributed between the individual adhesive pads depending on their arrangement and the morphology of the tendril branches.…”

Section: Structure and Mechanical Consequences Of The Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Passionate Free Climber: Structural Development and Functional Morphology of the Adhesive Tendrils in Passiflora discophora

Bohn

Günther

Fink

et al. 2015

International Journal of Plant Sciences

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Editor: Adrienne NicotraPremise of research. Passiflora discophora is exceptional among passion flowers for its climbing strategy, using branched tendrils with terminal adhesive pads instead of coiling tendrils as typical within this family. This article investigates the structural development and morphology of these adhesive pads and aims to understand the underlying structure-function relationship of the attachment process. Based on our results, we discuss possible mechanical consequences of the tendril structure and compare our findings with similar attachment systems in unrelated species in order to identify general strategies of this mode of attachment.Methodology. We investigated the temporal development of the attachment process, including detailed studies of the morphology and anatomy of the adhesive pads, using LM with different staining procedures and SEM.Pivotal results. Young tendrils establish initial contact with a supporting substrate by interlocking with their hook-shaped tips. Touch stimuli induce the tips to develop into adhesive pads by callus-like growth of papillate epidermal cells. Fully grown pads are hemispherical on flat substrates or completely fill out larger cavities of the substrate. By apical cell division, the pad tissue perfectly mimics the microtopography of the substrate and also grows into minute gaps and fissures, establishing firm anchorage by optimal form closure. Additionally, an extracellular substance is visible at the interface between pad and substrate surface, which might act as adhesive.Conclusions. The opportunistic growth and cellular structure make the tendrils and adhesive pads of P. discophora a highly adaptive attachment system. Comparison with other not closely related taxa reveals general principles of this climbing mode, namely, (1) branched tendrils with multiple adhesive pads, (2) papillate cells establishing optimal form closure with the substrate and in some species additionally secreting adhesive substances, (3) free coiling of axes, and (4) persisting anchorage after senescence.

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Section: Structure and Mechanical Consequences Of The Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Structure and Mechanical Consequences Of The Attachmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Passionate Free Climber: Structural Development and Functional Morphology of the Adhesive Tendrils in Passiflora discophora

Bohn

Günther

Fink

et al. 2015

International Journal of Plant Sciences

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“…In contrast, plants and especially climbing plants, which also have adhesion systems with excellent mechanical properties, are only sparsely studied as to the form-structure-function relationship of their adhesive organs (Endress & Thomson 1976, 1977Groot et al 2003;Meloche et al 2007;Bowling & Vaughn 2008Zhang et al 2008). This holds especially for detailed biomechanical analyses of the strategies of permanent attachment found in climbing plants, which have only recently started to attract more attention Steinbrecher et al 2009Steinbrecher et al , 2010.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The attachment strategy of English ivy: a complex mechanism acting on several hierarchical levels

Melzer

Steinbrecher

Seidel

et al. 2010

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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English ivy (Hedera helix L.) is able to grow on vertical substrates such as trees, rocks and house plaster, thereby attaching so firmly to the surface that when removed by force typically whole pieces of the climbing substrate are torn off. The structural details of the attachment process are not yet entirely understood. We studied the attachment process of English ivy in detail and suggest a four-phase process to describe the attachment strategy: (i) initial physical contact, (ii) form closure of the root with the substrate, (iii) chemical adhesion, and (iv) shape changes of the root hairs and form-closure with the substrate. These four phases and their variations play an important role in the attachment to differently structured surfaces. We demonstrate that, in English ivy, different mechanisms work together to allow the plant's attachment to various climbing substrates and reveal the importance of micro-fibril orientation in the root hairs for the attachment based on structural changes at the subcellular level.

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“…During chemical adhesion, bundles of 'threads' of glue were observed between root hairs and the attaching substrate [108]. A specially designed tensile testing machine was used to quantify the attachment strength of ivy (H. helix) adventitious roots [109]. It was quantitatively determined that the adhesion strength of an individual root was 5 N, while the energy dissipated by the complex structure consisting of several roots was 6.17 mJ.…”

Section: English Ivymentioning

confidence: 99%

Inspiration from the natural world: from bio-adhesives to bio-inspired adhesives

Favi

Lenaghan

et al. 2012

Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology

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Advances in materials science and engineering through bio-inspiration, at both the micro-and nanoscales, have flourished over recent years. By understanding principles used in nature to produce adhesives and other substances of interest, the field of bio-inspired engineering has emerged as an important area of innovation. In this review, we will focus on bio-adhesives based on three main mechanisms of generating attachment: dry, wet, and chemical adhesion. Dry adhesion, involving micro-to nanoscale filamentous structures, is used by many insects and reptiles to rapidly climb surfaces. Tree frogs and some insects make use of wet adhesion by leveraging capillary forces through the design of attaching structures that increases liquid drainage, and hence increases frictional contact. Finally, chemical adhesion is used by many plants and mollusks, which secrete adhesives composed of proteins, polysaccharides and carbohydrates to generate the strong forces necessary for adhesion. This paper reviews recent discoveries in animal and plant bio-adhesives, and details the mechanisms used in several representative biological systems. We extend the review to include the fundamental principles functioning in each form of adhesion at the micro-and nanoscales. This fast emerging research area has significant implications in the future design of bio-inspired adhesives, and offers further potential for a variety of applications.

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Quantifying the attachment strength of climbing plants: A new approach

Cited by 53 publications

References 49 publications

A Passionate Free Climber: Structural Development and Functional Morphology of the Adhesive Tendrils in Passiflora discophora

A Passionate Free Climber: Structural Development and Functional Morphology of the Adhesive Tendrils in Passiflora discophora

The attachment strategy of English ivy: a complex mechanism acting on several hierarchical levels

Inspiration from the natural world: from bio-adhesives to bio-inspired adhesives

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