Unifying fluidic excretion across life from cicadas to elephants

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Challita, Elio J.; Bhamla, M. Saad
• 署名单位: University System of Georgia; Georgia Institute of Technology
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-10488
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317878121
• 发表日期: 2024-03-26
• 关键词: xylem fluid

摘要

Can insects weighing mere grams challenge our current understanding of fluid dynamics in urination, jetting fluids like their larger mammalian counterparts? Current fluid urination models, predominantly formulated for mammals, suggest that jetting is confined to animals over 3 kg, owing to viscous and surface tension constraints at microscales. Our findings defy this paradigm by demonstrating that cicadas-weighing just 2 g-possess the capability for jetting fluids through remarkably small orifices. Using dimensional analysis, we introduce a unifying fluid dynamics scaling framework that accommodates a broad range of taxa, from surface -tension -dominated insects to inertia and gravity -reliant mammals. This study not only refines our understanding of fluid excretion across various species but also highlights its potential relevance in diverse fields such as ecology, evolutionary biology, and biofluid dynamics.