423
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
H. Ehrlich, Biological Materials of Marine Origin, Biologically- Inspired Systems 4,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5730-1_14
Chapter 14
Epilogue
My efforts in the present work were to show the structural and chemical diversity in
biological materials derived from marine fi sh, reptiles, birds and mammals as well as
their material properties. The scientifi c history of the discovery of these materials
spans the last 150 years, and our own recent results may stimulate other researchers to
rise to new challenges. In the interest of, my book is dedicated to biological materials
isolated, observed, or described in marine vertebrate organisms selected by the author.
Rather than a comprehensive work, this book is intended to provide an overview of a
few organisms that demonstrate the high potential of future discovery in this fi eld.
In these concluding remarks, I want to focus the attention of readers on some
open questions, as well as on additional topics of interest. These include fi sh gills,
amphibian skin and sucking disk of sharksuckers.
Fish Gills Unique biomaterials-containing structures not discussed in this work
are fi sh gills. The function of gills is well described in the paper by Campbell et al.
( 2008 ).
“A fi sh continuously pumps water through its mouth and over gill arches, using
coordinated movements of the jaws and operculum (gill cover) for this ventilation
(Fig. 14.1 ). A swimming fi sh can simply open its mouth and let water fl ow past its
gills. Each gill arch has two rows of gill fi laments, composed of fl attened plates
called lamellae. Blood fl owing through capillaries within the lamellae picks up
oxygen from the water. Notice that the counter current fl ow of water and blood
maintains a concentration gradient down which O 2 diffuses from the water into the
blood over the entire length of a capillary,” Campbell et al. ( 2008 ).
Two parallel sheets of epithelia separated by a narrow space for blood circulation
and for the exchange of respiratory gases are the main structural components of gill
lamella (Olson 2002 ; Wilson and Laurent 2002 ; Evans et al. 2005 ). Correspondingly,
surface area is increased due to this specifi c lamellar structure. Also, so called collagen columns (Hughes and Grimstone 1965 ; Bettex-Galland and Hughes 1973 ;
Wright 1973 ), which presumably function to prevent ballooning of the lamellae, are
of crucial importance (Fig. 14.2 ). Normally, collagen columns are surrounded by
© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
H. Ehrlich, Biological Materials of Marine Origin, Biologically- Inspired Systems 4,
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5730-1_14
Chapter 14
Epilogue
My efforts in the present work were to show the structural and chemical diversity in
biological materials derived from marine fi sh, reptiles, birds and mammals as well as
their material properties. The scientifi c history of the discovery of these materials
spans the last 150 years, and our own recent results may stimulate other researchers to
rise to new challenges. In the interest of, my book is dedicated to biological materials
isolated, observed, or described in marine vertebrate organisms selected by the author.
Rather than a comprehensive work, this book is intended to provide an overview of a
few organisms that demonstrate the high potential of future discovery in this fi eld.
In these concluding remarks, I want to focus the attention of readers on some
open questions, as well as on additional topics of interest. These include fi sh gills,
amphibian skin and sucking disk of sharksuckers.
Fish Gills Unique biomaterials-containing structures not discussed in this work
are fi sh gills. The function of gills is well described in the paper by Campbell et al.
( 2008 ).
“A fi sh continuously pumps water through its mouth and over gill arches, using
coordinated movements of the jaws and operculum (gill cover) for this ventilation
(Fig. 14.1 ). A swimming fi sh can simply open its mouth and let water fl ow past its
gills. Each gill arch has two rows of gill fi laments, composed of fl attened plates
called lamellae. Blood fl owing through capillaries within the lamellae picks up
oxygen from the water. Notice that the counter current fl ow of water and blood
maintains a concentration gradient down which O 2 diffuses from the water into the
blood over the entire length of a capillary,” Campbell et al. ( 2008 ).
Two parallel sheets of epithelia separated by a narrow space for blood circulation
and for the exchange of respiratory gases are the main structural components of gill
lamella (Olson 2002 ; Wilson and Laurent 2002 ; Evans et al. 2005 ). Correspondingly,
surface area is increased due to this specifi c lamellar structure. Also, so called collagen columns (Hughes and Grimstone 1965 ; Bettex-Galland and Hughes 1973 ;
Wright 1973 ), which presumably function to prevent ballooning of the lamellae, are
of crucial importance (Fig. 14.2 ). Normally, collagen columns are surrounded by