In a report published on HNGN, the sea-dwelling creatures referred to as chitons or Acanthopleura granulata are wrapped with tiny eyes which are embedded within their hard protective shells.
These armor-plated eyes could possibly create a type of safety protective covering for members of the military or workers in risky environments. Distinct from the eyes of just about all other living creatures that are composed mainly of protein, the eyes of these mollusks are made up of the mineral aragonite, the same ceramic substance that comprises the rest of creatures' shells.
As stated by a fresh MIT graduate and Harvard postdoc Ling Li, these mineral-based eyes enable the creature to keep track of its surroundings with the protective armor casing. The greater part of the shell is opaque, and only the eyes are transparent.
Chitons nestle in the intertidal zone thus, they can either be submerged in water or exposed to the air. Their eyes must be capable of operating in both surroundings. The team responsible for the findings managed to prove that the eyes are likely to focus light and develop visuals within the photoreceptive section underneath the lens in either air or water. This conclusion was derived after they performed scientific experiments and an attempt to explain the process basing on a known theory or group of related theories.
As per MIT News, the team utilized a specialized high-resolution X-ray tomography equipment at Argonne National Laboratory to probe the 3-D architecture of the tiny eyes, which are each less than a tenth of a millimeter across.
The team anticipates that this latest finding can be the key concept in the development of materials that can feature physical defense and optical visibility the same time.
According to MIT professor, Christine Ortiz, 'high-resolution structure' and property research of the chiton system present interesting findings into materials-level made by the diverse practical standards and are the solution to extracting model concepts for 'multifunctional bio-inspired armor'.
The project was supported and financed by the Army Research Office and the Department of Defense through the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation.
