Just some ideas on "Structure
that generates colours":
When
we investigate into nature’s design process, it is not hard to realise that the
formation of every single physical being has a reason, and the physical
expression of which is very efficient and sustainable. Unlike our industrial
production, nature does not have to use high temperature or high pressure to
make something. There is no pollution being part of the consequence of the
production. One of an interesting example is generating colours by its
structure.
The
iridescent colours and beautiful patterns in a male peacock’s plumage are
primarily to attract attention for mating purposes. But how could these colours
not fade? In fact, researchers found that the feathers' bright colours are
produced not by pigments, but rather by tiny, intricate two-dimensional
crystal-like structures. Slight alterations in the spacing of these microscopic
structures cause different wavelengths of light to be filtered and reflected,
creating the feathers' many different iridescent hues.
According
to National Geographic, Most of the colour we see in nature is due to
pigmentation, substances that selectively absorb light at some wavelengths and
reflect it in others. Plant chlorophyll, for example, absorbs and reflects all
wavelengths of light except green. Other examples include pigments that produce
the colour in human hair and skin. But some animals have hit on a completely
different evolutionary strategy, using microscopic, translucent structures to
selectively filter and reflect light. Examples of such structure-generated colours
can be seen in shimmering metallic butterfly and moth scales, beetle wing
cases, and the feathers of hummingbirds, peacocks and birds of paradise.
Similar reflective structures made from silica are also responsible for the
shimmering colour found in opals. (National Geographic News, 1996)
Some
links for more details:
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