Ant Teeth: Scientists Reveal How They Can Help in the Development of Gadgets

A group of engineers is hoping to get blueprints from mother nature by examining ant teeth, described as some of what's called the "teeniest, toughest tool" known off.

A CNet report said that to keep consumer electronics decreasing in size, engineers need to construct small yet tremendously sturdy instruments to develop gadgets.

Thinner than the standard hair, the miniature chompers of the insects can bit down powerfully enough to cut through robust leaves, minus suffering any impairment.

It all has something to do with the zinc atoms' even arrangement of the teeth, which enables even distribution of force every time the creatures crunch on something. The researchers said that a particular feature could one day be employed in human-made tools.

ALSO READ: Leaf Cutter Ants Evolved a Biomineral Armor That Protects It From Pathogens

The Atom Probe Tomography

According to senior research scientist Arun Devaraj at the United States Department of Energy's Northwest National Laboratory and author of a recently published research on the ant teeth's composition, having equal distribution is vitally a secret.

Devaraj also said the ant chompers could even cut human skin minus breaking. It is difficult to even do that with humans' own teeth.

To get the bottom of nature's secrets and meet humanity's need for pocket-size electronics, and thus, the senior research scientist said, one can conveniently check his Twitter feeds; certainly, the scientists initially separated a minuscule piece of one ant tooth.

Ants have a pair, or sometimes even more teeth on their jaw or curved external mandible. The research group then turned to a method known as atom probe tomography, which accurately paints an image of where every atom within an object is found.

Distribution of Zinc in the Ant Teeth

Commenting on their study, published in Scientific Reports, the author said the plan was to apply that method to understand the distribution of zinc inside the ant teeth and how that leads to the strength it's receiving.

Atom probe tomography, as explained in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is working through reverse assessment. Basically, an item can be put in a chamber, then slowly have it evaporated, atom by atom, and gather every data of the component on a detector.

Employing that information, the object can then be reconstructed as a 3D model, except this time with recognizable atoms.

After doing the steps using a microscopic needle of a nibbler of an ant, the researchers discovered that zinc atoms of the tooth, responsible for the piercing, the ant bites' painful nature, were distributed in an astonishingly even manner instead of in clumps.

Ant Bite

A similar Swift Headline report said, Every time an ant is biting into something, the force is ideally spread throughout its teeth brought by zinc atoms' equal dispersal.

That explains why only roughly 10 to 20 percent of zinc is essential for their enormous dental material.

Better yet, the scientists say the animals end up employing approximately 60 percent or less of the force than they would need if their teeth were the same as humans' relatively weak pearl whites with the elements' various types and distributions.

Devaraj explained that both organic and inorganic chemists could work together to synthesise materials that are actually strongly inspired by the said materials.

Double Advantage

Using the concept of equally spread atoms, zincs, or other elements to tools that constructed human technology would provide the future mini-tools with a double advantage.

The would-be more cost-oriented since a smaller amount of stronger and costly components would be essential. They would be more efficient as well because less force would be needed while using them.

Next, Devaraj and his fellow researchers are in quest of continuously finding ways to revolutionize how compact tech devices are constructed by evaluating other teeny small species that go around with powerful weapons.

Related information about ants is shown on BBC Earth Unplugged's YouTube video below: