Plants Display Nature's Optofluidic Machinery
Tuesday, May 17, 2016 - 11:20
in Physics & Chemistry
If you place a houseplant next to a sunny window, you may notice the leaves bending toward the light. Plants don't have brains, so the vast majority of movement is controlled by the interaction of light and fluid within plant cells. Researchers have published a paper in APL Photonics that highlights examples of optofluidics in plants. Optofluidics combine optical systems, which respond to and control light, with microfluidic systems, which move fluids through small channels.