[ad_1]
The researchers explain that animals regulate the heat of their bodies through their skin, which helps to absorb as much water as possible.
A study published in the scientific journal, Nature Communicationsexplains that the channels on the skin surface of the African bush elephant are due to physical cracks caused by bending stress during epidermal growth.
Although cracks often appear in non-living materials, such as dried mud, they are rare in biological systems. The African Elephant's skin has a complex network of interconnected crevices one micrometer wide, which help the animal to maintain 5 to 10 times more water than flat-bottomed elephants.
Explaining the importance of these channels, Michel Milinkovitch, professor in the Department of Genetics and Evolution at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, said: "As long as elephants will have regular contact with enough water storage in these channels will always be useful. But a drier climate would be problematic for animals. Indeed, African elephants lack sweat and sebum glands that allow other mammals to keep their skin moist.
Vital function of the body
Channels also protect elephants from pests and solar radiation, but their formation remains uncertain. Milinkovitch adds that skin retains mud much more effectively than if it were smooth, thanks to these channels. "Without the channels, the mud applied would be much easier to pour. A thick layer of mud prevents pest attacks, "he said. Down to earth.
Milinkovitch and his colleagues used physics-based microscopy and modeling techniques to explain that the channels are fractures of the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum.
Cracks are not just wrinkles, but only folds in the skin. These are real cracks in the huge horny layer (50 times thicker than that of humans), which is the part of the highly keratinized skin.
Interestingly, newborn elephants do not have channels on their skin. "We were fortunate to have access to a newborn African elephant and its skin was covered with taste buds (the network of millimeter elevations), but no fissures were still visible. Therefore, we believe that the skin thickens as the animals get older and eventually crack when the thickness is sufficient to generate sufficient bending stress in the lattice troughs, "explains the professor.
Surprisingly, Asian elephants do not have cracks. The team did not identify any differences between men and women.
We are a voice for you. you have been a support for us. Together, we build independent, credible and fearless journalism. You can also help us by making a donation. This will be very important for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and field analysis so we can make changes together.
[ad_2]
Source link
