Biomimicry Report

What does Biomimicry mean?

What does biomimicry mean? Biomimicry- The word biomimicry is a compound word, (a word that is made of 2 different word) which consists of the words bio and mimicry. I believe the word bio means natural life and the way nature works though the Oxford dictionary defines the prefix bio as just life. In addition, the Meaning of mimicry for me is copying something or someone for purposes like entertaining someone, etc. However, the Oxford dictionary defines the word mimicry as the action or skill of imitating someone or something, especially to entertain or ridicule. Moreover, if we put the 2 together it for me, means copying or mimicking natural life thought the Oxford dictionary defines the word biomimicry as the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modelled on biological entities and processes.

The History of biomimicry

Early example

One of the very first examples of biomimicry was the leaning or study of flying creatures, like birds to make one of the very imaginary human need possible, which was human flight. Unfortunately, the most discussed man in history of biomimicry, Leonardo Da Vinci could not invent the world’s first human flight invention but was very interested in the anatomy of bird flight. He made uncountable sketches, recorded many of the observations, and tried to use them to make a flying machine.

Who and How came across biomimicry?

Biomimicry was first invented or discovered by the American Biophysicist (The Oxford dictionary defines the word biophysicist as: the science of the application of the laws of physics to biological phenomena) and Polymath (The Oxford Dictionary describes the word polymath as: A person of wide knowledge and learning) Otto Schmitt during the year 1950. He came across this beautiful word during his doctoral research when he developed the Schmitt trigger by researching the nerves and the nerve system of a squid. He tried to engineer a device that copied the nerve propagation of that squid. His interest in devices that copied or mimicked natural systems grew and by the year 1957 he had different and developed way to look at biophysics and he named that view as biomimetic.

Transdisciplinary Theme

Our ‘transdisciplinary’ theme for this term is how the world works and under that transdisciplinary theme we have chosen biomimicry and under the big tree of biomimicry we have chosen to follow the following lines: An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; The interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; Under those 2 lines our central idea is nature can help solve human problems. Under our central idea, we have form and function as our key concept. Under the key concepts, our line of inquiry is how understanding nature can help solve human problems.

Biomimicry- Human Problem

Intro

Human problems, now human problems vary from a problem like how to fix a tap from how to build a car now look at that difference between those problems. Like, how to fix a tap just involves a simple 5-step process from a budget of $5 to $20 though building a car involves over a 15-step process and a budget of approximately $30000 to $50000.

What problems mean?

Now before we continue and talk about human problems we need to know what problems are. Now most likely you all would know what a problem is but if you do not know or you forgot. A problem is something anyone would come across. The word problem defined by the oxford is: a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome. However, human problems don’t refer to the problems we get for homework or the problems that we have while playing games. Human problems are the problems that a collective or a type of people have. Not a problem some individual has.

What is the problem I am going to solve?

Doesn’t it really hurt when that pointy needle pierces your skin and takes out the blood? Well, that’s our problem. When you here the name of a blood test, what comes first to your mind, let me guess, the painful needle. Right. Well we are now about to change how people think and feel about taking blood tests. That’s not the only problem we are solving we are also solving problems like: When a boy gets a scratch or anything like maybe a cut and he doesn’t want to apply any antibiotic to the cut because it burns. HOW? - Read next paragraph

How we are solving the problem?

Well, what we are doing is developing a local anaesthesia for minor problems like scratches, cuts and blood tests so they do not hurt as much. Before we go into any more detail about this local anaesthesia that we are developing, we need to know what a local anaesthesia is. The Oxford dictionary defines the word anaesthesia as: In anaesthesia, the practice of medicine or anesthesia is a temporary induced loss of sensation or awareness. Thought the meaning of local anaesthesia is different. The Oxford dictionary does not hold the definition of the terms local anesthesia but according to me, local anaesthesia is the anesthesia that is used for minor problems whereas in comparison normal anesthesia is used for higher magnitude problem such as a surgery to knock a person out of his senses.

How does our Local Anaesthesia; Relate to Biomimicry?

Our local anaesthesia uses the principle of mosquitos. Have you ever noticed when a mosquito bites your hand, you would not have because these mosquitos do something to our skin before biting it. Mosquitos apply a special substance to our skin before biting them and what that substance does is makes our skin numb and after our skin is numb the sit on our skin and pierce their blood sucking needle into our skin to find a blood vessel. Our product or termed as in my report our local anaesthesia is a replacement of that special substance and we apply that substance before doing a blood test or applying an antibiotic to a wound so it makes the skin numb and thereafter it won’t pain.