Medical Marvels If a bombardier beetle feels threatened it blasts a powerful jet spray of boiling chemicals at its attacker Its built-in combustion chamber mixes and boils chemicals in its body The gases from the process create pressure that makes the blast powerful enough to cause serious injury This illustration shows a bombardier beetle’s protective chamber in its hindquarters where it mixes chemicals 4
Researchers are working on ways to mimic the beetle’s spray system They hope to create new kinds of drug delivery systems as well as other spray system applications bombardier beetle 5
6 Biomimicry also called biomimetics involves the study of how functions are delivered in biology then translating those functions into designs that suit human needs Architects scientists and engineers involved in biomimicry have recognized that nature is the world's largest science and engineering lab Nature has 3 8 billion years of experience Using nature as inspiration and a guide biomimics research experiment with and create innovative designs that help solve human problems
Biomimicry plays an important role in the medical field with many projects currently being researched and tested Many of these examples remain in the testing and improving stage before they can be widely available Animals plants and even microorganisms are the inspiration behind biomimicry Extensive testing in the lab helps scientists design and improve on medical applications 7
