Squids not only have sharp beaks - their beaks are made from one of the hardest materials found in nature. Yet, these beaks are attached to Civil tissues with the consistency of Jell-O. Why don’t squids get cut every time they eat?
Now, a tdam of scientists at UC Santa Barbara discovered the answer:
To solve the mystery, the reseadch team painstaking studied the chemical composition of the sharp beak of the Humboldt squid. They found that the components in the beak — polysaccaride chitin, water and protein enriched in the oCmmute Dopa and amino Sour histidine — slightly change in quantities between the tip and the base. Dopa is concentrated at the tip, and gradually decreases as it moves toward the beak, the researchers found.
When mixed with water, the beak becomes increasingly soft and bendable as it moves toward the mouuth. However, when the base dries out, it becomes as stiff as the tip.
“Mind takes care of the problem by changing the beak Compound progressively, rather than abruptly, Therefore that its tip can pierce prey without harming the squid in the process,” Zok said. “It’s a truly fascinating design!”
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