title: A universal glue: underwater adhesion of the secretion of the carnivorous flypaper plant Roridula gorgonias.
abstract: Glandular trichomes of the carnivorous plant Roridula gorgonias release a viscous resinous secretion. Its adhesion to hydrophilic and hydrophobic glass surfaces was measured in air and underwater. The underwater adhesion reached up to 91% (on hydrophilic glass) and 28% (on hydrophobic glass) of that measured in the air. After being submersed for 24 h in water, trichomes did not lose their ability to adhere to both types of glass surfaces underwater. We assume that acylglycerides and triterpenoids, which have been demonstrated previously to be main compounds of the secretion, cause the predominantly non-polar character and the insolubility in water. The robustness of the secretion to a wet environment presumably enables the plant to maintain its trapping function also under humid conditions and during rainy weather.
authors: Evolutionary Biomaterials Group, Department of Thin Films and Biological Systems , Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (formerly Metals Research) , Heisenbergstraße 03, 70569 Stuttgart , Germany ; Functional Morphology and Biomechanics , Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel , Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24098 Kiel , Germany.
authors: Dagmar
authors: D
authors: Voigt
authors: Department of Geosciences , University of Tübingen , Hölderlinstrasse 12, 72074 Tübingen , Germany.
authors: Wilfried
authors: W
authors: Konrad
authors: Evolutionary Biomaterials Group, Department of Thin Films and Biological Systems , Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (formerly Metals Research) , Heisenbergstraße 03, 70569 Stuttgart , Germany ; Functional Morphology and Biomechanics , Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel , Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24098 Kiel , Germany.
authors: Stanislav
authors: S
authors: Gorb
keywords: adhesive; biomechanics; glandular trichomes; glue; plant surface; resin
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