What's The Strongest Material Produced By Animals
By: NDTVNewsDesk
Image: Pexels
The teeth of the limpet snail is the strongest material produced by animals.
Image: Pexels
They are made of a mineral-protein composite reinforced with iron-based goethite fibre.
Image: File
They are stronger than spider silk and other super-strong materials like Kevlar.
Image: File
They are used to scrape food off rocks and to help the limpet grip the rock surface against powerful tidal forces.
Image: File
The structure consists of extremely thin, tightly packed mineral fibres, which contributes to their exceptional strength.
Image: File
While known for its strength-to-weight ratio, limpet teeth are stronger, surpassing the toughest spider silk.
Image: File
These teeth, on a structure known as the radula, are continuously replaced as they wear down from scraping algae off rocks.
Image: File
The super-strength of limpet teeth serves as a model for designing new, advanced materials through biomimicry.
Image: File
ndtv.com