The shell of the brachiopod Discinisca tenuis is hard and brittle but becomes soft and flexible when exposed to water. (Photo: Brookhaven National Laboratory)
The shell of the brachiopod Discinisca tenuis is hard and brittle but becomes soft and flexible when exposed to water. (Photo: Brookhaven National Laboratory) - An international research team with participation of the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI has revealed a secret about a marine animal's shell: The researchers have deciphered why the protective cover of the brachiopod Discinisca tenuis becomes extremely soft in water and gets hard again in the air. The study appears today . The brachiopod Discinisca tenuis lives on the west coast of Africa. It has a mineral-rich shell that protects it from harmful environmental influences. Bathing the shell in water leads to a structural change in the material: The flat, hard shell becomes so flexible that it can even be folded up without breaking. With the help of the Swiss Light Source SLS, the researchers have deciphered exactly how this transformation takes place.
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