page 14
Questions 25
–28
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 25
–28 on your answer sheet.
25.'Spacer' sequences look odd because:
A. they are a bacterial immune system
B. they are DNA from viruses
C. they aren't bacterial in origin
D. all of the above
26.The ones, who were excited about the CRISPR's discovery, were:
A. biologists
B. geneticists
C. physicists
D. A and B
27.Word "learns" in the 6th paragraph means:
A. determines
B. gains awarness
C. adapts
D. studies
28. What makes CRISPR better than even our adaptive immune system?
A. long history of existence
B. immortality
C. heritability
D. adaptiveness
t.me/Abdusalim_Shavkatov
page 15
Part 5
Penguins' anti-ice trick revealed
“What we learn here is how penguins combine oil and nano-structures on the feathers to
produce this effect to perfection,” explains Kavehpour. By analysing feathers from different
penguin
species,
the
researchers
discovered
Antarctic
species
the
gentoo
penguin (Pygoscelis papua) was more superhydrophobic compared with a species found in
warmer climes
– the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) – whose breeding sites
include Argentinian desert.
Gentoo penguins’ feathers contained tiny pores which trapped air, making the surface
hydrophobic. And they were smothered with a special preening oil, produced by a gland
near the base of the tail, with which the birds cover themselves. Together, these properties
mean that in the wild, droplets of water on Antar
ctic penguins’ superhydrophobic feathers
bead up on the surface like spheres
– formations that, according to the team, could provide
geometry that delays ice formation, since heat cannot easily flow out of the water if the
droplet only has minimal contact with the surface of the feather.
“The shape of the droplet on the surface dictates the delay in freezing,” explains
Kavehpour. The water droplets roll off the penguin's feathers before they have time to
freeze, the researchers propose. Penguins living in the Antarctic are highly evolved to cope
with harsh conditions: their short outer feathers overlap to make a thick protective layer
over fluffier feathers which keep them warm. Under their skin, a thick layer of fat keeps
them insulated. The flightless birds spend a lot of time in the sea and are extremely agile
and graceful swimmers, appearing much more awkward on land.
Kavehpour was inspired to study Antarctic penguins’ feathers after watching the birds in a
nature documentary: “I saw these birds moving in and out of water, splashing everywhere.
Yet there is no single drop of frozen ice sticking to them,” he tells BBC Earth. His team now
hopes its work could aid design of better man-made surfaces which minimise frost
formation.
“I would love to see biomimicking of these surfaces for important applications, for example,
de-
icing of aircrafts,” says Kavehpour. Currently, airlines spend a lot of time and money
using chemical de-
icers on aeroplanes, as ice can alter the vehicles’ aerodynamic properties
and can even cause them to crash.
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