Biomimicry Taxonomy
What is the biomimicry taxonomy?
Break down (76)
- Chemically break down (53)
- Catalyze chemical reactions (8)
Enzyme quickly metabolizes alcohol: European starling
- Enzyme catalyzes many reactions: plants
- Producing energy from sugars: cells
- Creating energy from sunlight: plants
- Larvae protect from cyanide: Sara longwing butterfly
- Gut:enhancing anaerobic digestion:earthworm
- Increase biofuel yields: microorganism metabolic engineering
- Cleave halogens from organic compounds (0)
- Cleave heavy metals from organic compounds (2)
- Other inorganic compounds (4)
- Other organic compounds (34)
- Multiple organisms interact: soil ecosystem
- Multiple organisms strip nutrients: forests
- Enzymes allow cellulose digestion: bacteria
- Enzymatic liquid digests insects: green pitcher-plant
- Cellulose digested for fuel: protozoans
- Enzyme oxidizes fat-soluble organic chemicals: animals
- Organisms work together to decompose cellulose: earthworm
- Toxin breaks down tissue: Mycobacterium ulcerans
- VOCs used as carbon and energy source: fungus
- Enzymes help break down plant cell walls: Bacillus bacteria
- Organism digests blood: hookworm
- Gut microbes digest cellulose: termites
- Special liquid softens hard cocoon: puss moth
- Bacteria degrade petroleum hydrocarbons: Marinobacter
- Enzyme breaks down hydrocarbons: bacteria
- Chemicals used in defense: termites
- Microorganisms degrade crude oil: bacteria
- Enzyme degrades lignin: Trametes fungi
- Extremophile converts fatty-acids into energy: bacteria
- Enzyme breaks down hydrogen peroxide: thermal pool microbes
- Exoskeleton is dissolved: dragonfly
- Diversity increases efficiency: soil ecosystem
- Breaking down crude oil: Archaea bacteria
- Breaking down crude oil: aerobic bacteria
- Breaking down crude oil: fungi
- Breaking down crude oil: yeast
- Skin resists microorganisms: pilot whale
- Digestive solution removes excess algae: giant clam
- Secretions break down algal walls: stony corals
- Digesting various substances: fungi
- Breaking down cellulose: forest fungi
- Food digested externally: houseflies
- Mixture waterproofs nests: paper wasps
- Head bores through wood: shipworm
- Polymers (5)
- Physically break down (23)
- Abiotic materials (4)
- Biotic materials (19)
- Multiple organisms interact: soil ecosystem
- Teeth scrape and grind to break down coral: parrotfish
- Chewing through wood: harlequin beetle
- Teeth crush shells: walrus
- Jaws shear flesh: alligator snapping turtle
- Tongue cuts through fish scales: lamprey
- Mouth cuts through chitin: velvet mite
- Jaws cut leaves precisely: leaf cutting ants
- Teeth specialized to diet: macropods
- Mouth sorts and grinds food: platypus
- Crystals of metal salts improve cutting ability: herbivorous insects
- Mineral crystals enhance cutting ability: limpet
- Mineral crystals enhance rasping power: chitons
- Specialized teeth wear down but remain effective: grazing animals
- Snout works as drill: acorn weevil
- Ovipositor drills through wood: parasitic wasps
- Beak cuts up food: trogons
- Head bores through wood: shipworm
- Get, store, or distribute resources (348)
- Capture, absorb, or filter (204)
- Bulk solids (1)
- Chemical entities (33)
- Structures absorb amino acids: potbelly airplant
- Gills exchange oxygen efficiently: fish
- Intestines absorb glucose fast: hummingbird
- Membrane channel lets only some ions in: Streptomyces lividans
- Nitrogen fixed for termites: spirochete bacteria
- Diet compensates for mineral deficiencies: red deer
- Self-medicating prevents disease: rabbits
- Gene transfers enhance photosynthesis: marine viruses
- Kidneys filter impurities: human
- Leaves capture water: bromeliads
- Mounds accumulate calcium carbonate: termites
- Organs detect scent: reptiles
- Membranes desalinate water: mangrove
- Cells detect and sequester toxic copper: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Tissues absorb nitrogen: haircap moss
- Mechanism concentrates inorganic carbon: diatoms
- Siphon filters seawater: sea squirt
- Rootlets reabsorb nutrients: giant groundsel
- Roots absorb nutrients from dead leaves: cushion plants
- Dissolved gold is precipitated: bacteria
- Proteins limit nanoparticle dispersal: sulfate-reducing bacteria
- Surviving low nutrient, low light conditions: peatland plants
- Photosynthesis with low CO2: peatland plants
- Secretions break down algal walls: stony corals
- Epiphytes capture nutrients: bromeliads
- Long roots grow in saline water: Tamarix tree
- Antennae detect odors: dampwood termite
- Body surface gathers nutrients: tapeworms
- Sensitivity to sweetness aids in food selection: honeybee
- Underwater sensors detect odors: spiny lobster
- Energy (35)
- Photosynthesis: Cooke's koki'o
- Leaves maximize sun exposure: plants
- Pigment enhances light absorption: tropical plants
- Organisms capture radiation: black fungus
- Nest maximizes solar heat absorption: wood ants
- Collective body heat warms nest: wood ants
- Structures maximize light absorption: plants
- Pigment cells absorb incidental light: insects
- Leaves optimize internal state: mangrove
- Crystals draw sunlight into plant: window plants
- Tendons store energy: bushbaby
- Leaves optimize photosynthesis: giant water-lily
- Achilles tendons enhance jumping: kangaroo
- Creating energy from sunlight: plants
- Surviving low nutrient, low light conditions: peatland plants
- Transparent patches of mantle focus light: giant clam
- Secretions break down algal walls: stony corals
- Optimizing exposure to sunlight: stony corals
- Epiphytes capture nutrients: bromeliads
- Photosynthesis in low-light conditions: Taeniophyllum orchid
- Skeletal construction provides shock absorption: cats
- Surviving extended confinement: lungfish
- Managing irregular food supplies: crossbills
- Relationship provides nutrients, housing, protection: bull horn acacia and acacia ants
- Herd finds fresh food: wildebeests
- Leaves focus light: begonias
- Ribbon-like roots absorb moisture: Taeniophyllum orchid
- Mutant gene flattens leaves: snapdragon
- Iridescent thin layer provides photoprotection: understory rainforest plants
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Algae produce oil: diatoms
- Gases (9)
- Nitrogen fixed for termites: spirochete bacteria
- Bubble allows breathing underwater: Potamodytes beetle
- Skin acts as membrane: sea snake
- Spider creates underwater air tank: water spider
- Underhairs provide insulation: merino sheep
- Mechanism concentrates inorganic carbon: diatoms
- Fine filaments absorb oxygen: newt
- Aerating device delivers oxygen: mangroves
- Leaves adjust to changing environment: Common arrowhead
- Liquids (38)
- Nasal surfaces remove water vapor: camel
- Grooves gather water: thorny devil
- Water vapor harvesting: Namib desert beetle
- Electric current reduces friction: common earthworm
- Water absorbed from humid air: brown dog tick
- Roots maximize water uptake: plants
- Leaves capture water: bromeliads
- Leaf arrangement collects water: epiphytes
- Pebbles aid dew condensation: Australian mouse
- Ice nucleation captures water: lichen
- Silk protects from flooding, captures water: barking spider
- Trees comb water from clouds: cloud forests
- Leaves survive desiccation: Spanish moss
- Skin protects from dehydration: file snake
- Pressure forces blood from pores: grasshopper
- Density moderates microclimate: alpine sandwort
- Proboscis forms a flexible, sealed cylinder: butterfly
- Pouch scoops and drains water: pink-backed pelican
- Nasal turbinates reduce water loss: northern elephant seal
- Anus absorbs water: woodlice
- Stance and skin channels harvest rainwater: Texas horned lizard
- Setae draw water from mud: marsh crab
- Leaves channel dew as water source: Welwitschia
- Wiry tangles capture fog: lichens
- Suckers steal water and nutrients: Australian Christmas tree
- Flexible stalk adjusts to flow forces: Styela sea squirt
- Concentrated form reduces water requirements: frogs
- Hydration increases internal pressure: legumes
- Leaves capture water: bromeliads
- Roots absorb moisture from humid air: orchids
- Pressure sucks moisture from soil: desert plants
- Concentrating blood lightens weight: vampire bats
- Ribbon-like roots absorb moisture: Taeniophyllum orchid
- Forelegs mop up plant oil: solitary bees
- Leaves have elasticity, shape memory: resurrection fern
- Rosettes capture fog: Tillandsia
- Spores are self-propelled: wood ear mushroom
- Organisms (73)
- Hairs cause loss of footing: marsh pitchers
- Walls clog insect feet: pitcherplants
- Filter feeding moves water: Venus flower basket
- Optical illusion may attract insects: titan arum
- Silk tricks insects: spiders
- Pressure allows movement: echinoderms
- Baleen plates filter food: blue whale
- Noise stuns prey: spinner dolphin
- Sound waves stun prey: bottlenose dolphin
- Lure tricks prey: bolas spider
- Lamellae filter food of different sizes: flamingo
- Specialized gills filter plankton: basking shark
- Glue protects from insect bites: burrowing frog
- Fins funnel food: manta ray
- Bristles and barbs capture minute foods: Calanoid copepods
- Net filters algae: salp
- Kidneys filter impurities: human
- Adhesive glues prey: velvet worms
- Joint aids suspension feeding: sea pen
- Electric organs generate volts: rajid skates
- Electric organs generate volts: electric stargazers
- Electric organs have many purposes: Amazon electric eel
- Electric organ stuns prey, deters attackers: electric catfish
- Detachable bristles immobilize ants: Polyxenid millipede
- Special tongue captures soft prey: long-beaked echidna
- Sensory mucous glands detect prey: platypus
- Bird bill draws food into mouth: sandpiper
- Extra jaws help hold, transport prey: moray eel
- Bill used to filter: roseate spoonbill
- Pouch scoops and drains water: pink-backed pelican
- Poisonous tooth shoots into prey: cone shell
- Malaria vector chosen as preferred prey: jumping spider
- Fine filaments filter water: peacock worm
- Radiating filaments filter water: fanworms
- Siphon filters seawater: sea squirt
- Hair-like structures filter fine materials: fiddler crab
- Tiny capsules trap prey: bladderwort
- Vortex stirs up sediment: phalarope
- Flexible stalk adjusts to flow forces: Styela sea squirt
- Body shape and position direct water current: black flies
- Snare captures prey: fungi
- Probing for food: copperband butterfly fish
- Tongue lures fish: alligator snapping turtle
- Venom target insects: Blue Mountains funnel-web spider
- Sensitivity captures insects: Venus flytrap
- Toxins protect from predators: jellyfish
- Eyes give 360Ëš vision: chameleon
- Eyes see near and far: hawks
- Eyes see details: hawks
- Mouthparts manipulate food: insects
- Beak holds squirming prey: eagles
- Light attracts fish: skimmer birds
- Probing mud for prey: shoebill stork
- Chin used to hunt: elephantnose fish
- Lure attracts prey: anglerfish
- Lunging after prey: dragonfly larvae
- Shooting snout snags prey: sling-jaw wrasse
- Jaws swallow eggs whole: egg-eating snakes
- Jaw swallows large prey: pythons
- Stalk structure improves feeding position: sea anemone
- Sand pit captures prey: ant lion larvae
- Silk used for various functions: spiders
- Fins taste by touch: gurnards
- Beak cuts up food: trogons
- Middle ear senses barometric pressure: Eastern pipistrelle bat
- Antennae sense heat of prey: Rhodnius bug
- Capturing prey above the water's surface: archer fish
- Hunting in murky water: goldfish
- Hunting in the dark: piranha
- Lips detect prey: boas
- Snake senses heat: pit viper
- Whiskers sense prey movement: harbor seals
- Solid particles (15)
- Calming coastal waters: red mangrove
- Elaborate stigmas capture pollen grains: grasses
- Tongue gathers nectar and pollen: fruit bats
- Bristles and barbs capture minute foods: Calanoid copepods
- Kidneys filter impurities: human
- Hair-like structures filter fine materials: fiddler crab
- Proteins limit nanoparticle dispersal: sulfate-reducing bacteria
- Appendages used for movement and filtering: Daphnia
- Long roots grow in saline water: Tamarix tree
- Tube feet assist locomotion, feeding: lined sea star
- Mouth sorts and grinds food: platypus
- Wrinkly surface provides desert camouflage: Tamaulipas living rock cactus
- Fins taste by touch: gurnards
- Orchids capture pollen: bucket orchids
- Wingbeat vibrations cause pollen release: carpenter bee
- Distribute (78)
- Energy (10)
- Hole structure strengthens bone: horse
- Energy transfers in photosynthetic process: green sulphur bacteria
- Crystals draw sunlight into plant: window plants
- Light-transmitting fibers: Venus flower basket
- Threads transfer movement to capsule: jumping bean moth caterpillar
- Tendons store energy: bushbaby
- Legs power high jumps: spittle bug
- Scales create brilliant white: Cyphochilus beetles
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Bill used as heat exchanger for thermoregulation: toco toucan
- Gases (24)
- Ventilated nests remove heat and gas: mound-building termites
- Nostril cone allows air passage: peregrine falcon
- Burrow shape creates ventilation: prairie dog
- Air scoops provide cooling: ants
- Tracheal system delivers oxygen efficiently: fly
- Air flow system, sacs provide efficient gas exchange: birds
- Cells maximize flexibility, efficiency: vertebrates
- Internal leaf surface increases gas exchange: plants
- Increased surface area improves gas exchange: human
- Lungs efficiently expel air: fin whale
- Tubes help cool muscles, transport gases: insects
- Blood carries oxygen in varied conditions: human
- Breathing occurs even with full mouth: diamondback rattlesnake
- Branching protects from blockages: blue whales
- Radiating shape makes for efficient transport: sea urchin
- Large volumes move through small spaces: common earthworm
- Pressure makes air move: black mangrove
- Aerating device delivers oxygen: mangroves
- Stems move air: Phragmites australis
- Body shape and position direct water current: black flies
- Augmenting soil ventilation: short-beaked echidna
- Oxygenating soil: mangroves
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Liquids (37)
- Vascular systems transport fluids and solutes: plants
- Valves handle high pressures: humans
- Pressure assists blood circulation: giraffe
- Xylem conduits transport water: plants
- Branching pattern enhances exchange and transport: cypress
- Trees generate pressure: oaks
- Pressure forces blood from pores: grasshopper
- Rod-like reinforcements provide strength: plants
- Blood cells circulate in viscous blood: dromedary camel
- Bird bill draws food into mouth: sandpiper
- Body fluids help molt, extend wings: dragonfly
- Mats uniformly distribute resources: black grama grass
- Proboscis forms a flexible, sealed cylinder: butterfly
- Poisonous tooth shoots into prey: cone shell
- Branching protects from blockages: blue whales
- Radiating shape makes for efficient transport: sea urchin
- Elastic blood vessels accommodate pumping: mammals
- Flexible cylinders siphon water: clams
- Large volumes move through small spaces: common earthworm
- Leaves channel water: sacred fig
- Internal perforations transport nutrients: sphagnum moss
- Vortex stirs up sediment: phalarope
- Reflex "bleeding" deters predators: ladybug
- Reflex "bleeding" deters predators: bloody-nosed beetle
- Eyelids cleanse eyes: mammals
- Transport system prevents spread of embolisms: conifers
- Probing mud for prey: shoebill stork
- Long roots grow in saline water: Tamarix tree
- Vessels resist bubble formation: trees
- Body changes shape: sea anemone
- Tail used for reproductive advantage: damselfly
- Ecosystem withstands attack: Kentucky bluegrass
- Capturing prey above the water's surface: archer fish
- Squirting filaments protect from predators: pussmoth caterpillar
- Three-chambered heart reduces mixing of blood: frog
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Solids (7)
- Expel (23)
- Gases (5)
- Liquids (10)
- Combustion chamber sprays scalding liquid: bombardier beetle
- Pressure forces blood from pores: grasshopper
- Pores expel fluid: iguana
- Toxins protect from predators: jellyfish
- Siphon directs underwater movement: octopus
- Clapping used for underwater movement: rough fileclam
- Combustion chamber discharges efficiently: bombardier beetle
- Defense mechanism deters predators: wood snakes
- Eyes squirt blood: horned lizard
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Solids (8)
- Glands remove salt: penguins
- Stretchy membrane aids oviposition: locust
- Glands excrete excess salt: mangrove
- Old leaves help remove excess salt: mangrove
- Juice launches seeds: squirting cucumber
- Long roots grow in saline water: Tamarix tree
- Wings allow escape from spider webs: butterflies
- Pollen release triggered by bird landing: mistletoe
- Store (43)
- Bulk solids (1)
- Chemical entities (9)
- Mounds accumulate calcium carbonate: termites
- Fecal pellets sink carbon: salp
- Storage of organic matter plugs carbon "leaks": riparian habitat
- Cells detect and sequester toxic copper: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Internal perforations transport nutrients: sphagnum moss
- Habitat stores carbon: wetlands
- Underground storage enables regeneration: jarrah trees
- Storing carbon and energy: bacteria
- Minerals conserved during moult: crustaceans
- Energy (20)
- Blubber structure stores and releases energy: porpoise
- Appendage strikes with force: mantis shrimp
- Collagenous tendons store work: kangaroo
- Legs propel insect far: flea
- Resilin gives wings flexibility: insects
- Fur provides insulation: polar bear
- Tendons store energy: bushbaby
- Legs power high jumps: spittle bug
- Neck swivels 270 degrees: three-toed sloth
- Wings generate lift: honeybee
- Storing carbon and energy: bacteria
- Conserving energy: moths
- Energy stored to amplify power: click beetle
- Energy stored to amplify power: locusts
- Catapulting transports worms: nematode
- Long roots grow in saline water: Tamarix tree
- Pads cushion feet: mammals
- Silk used for various functions: spiders
- Conserving energy in times of scarcity: basking shark
- Algae produce oil: diatoms
- Tendons store energy: tammar wallaby
- Gases (4)
- Liquids (8)
- Abdomens store nectar: honeypot ants
- Thick leaves, pseudobulb resist fire: Victorian orchid
- Surface cells store water: ice plant
- Corky tuber stores water: Hottentot bread plant
- Leaves channel dew as water source: Welwitschia
- Long roots grow in saline water: Tamarix tree
- Leaves have elasticity, shape memory: resurrection fern
- Plant self-irrigates: desert rhubarb
- Solid particles (1)
- Maintain community (252)
- Cooperate and compete (39)
- Between (eco)systems (0)
- Between different species (13)
- Plants minimize water loss: desert
- Interwoven trees gain structural support: tropical trees
- Maintaining genetic and species diversity: black mustard
- Relationship protects from predators: clownfish, anemones
- Relationship provides thermal protection: hot springs panic grass, fungus
- Increasing fire resistance: Arizona fescue
- Collaboration benefits multiple participants: mangrove forests
- Fungus provides UV protection: lichens
- Relationship provides nutrients, stability: bracket fungi and trees
- Relationship provides nutrients, protection: ant-plants and ants
- Providing shelter for multiple organisms: English oak
- Long roots grow in saline water: Tamarix tree
- Relationship provides nutrients, housing, protection: bull horn acacia and acacia ants
- Within a (eco)system (15)
- Collective body heat warms nest: wood ants
- Community thrives: tropical rainforest ecosystems
- Nurse shrubs help other plants: Mediterranean montane ecosystems
- Tussocks enhance species diversity: upright sedges
- Communities recover from floods: riparian habitat
- Ecosystems recover from disturbances: riparian habitat
- Selective strategies aid competitive success: mangrove forests
- Collaboration benefits multiple participants: mangrove forests
- Plant requirements govern recovery from disturbances: English woodland
- Epiphytes capture nutrients: bromeliads
- Providing shelter for multiple organisms: English oak
- Long roots grow in saline water: Tamarix tree
- Fruiting tree holds key role in forest: Caesaria tree
- Relationships essential to pollination: Brazil nut tree
- Within the same species (11)
- Groups vote on hive locations: honeybees
- Varying response thresholds aid hive thermoregulation: honeybee
- Collaborating for group decisions: honeybees
- Optimizing size aids survival: sessile barnacles
- Maintaining genetic and species diversity: black mustard
- Group minimizes wind resistance: pelicans
- Individual actions benefit group: white-fronted bee-eater
- Communal 'slime-ways' used to glide: marine slime mold
- Group organization protects from the cold: emperor penguins
- Swarms act as intelligent organizations: ants and bees
- Coordinate (40)
- Activities (17)
- Signalling synchronizes bioluminescence: Vibrio fisheri bacteria
- Skin is a multifunctional material: human
- Group minimizes wind resistance: pelicans
- Multitasking on the move: pseudoscorpions
- Sustainable use of lands: grazing animals
- Chicks are fed equally: kingfisher
- Collaboration benefits multiple participants: mangrove forests
- Relationship provides nutrients, protection: ant-plants and ants
- Wings work in unison: insects
- Periodic emergence synchronized: cicadas
- Cyclical emergence optimizes reproduction: mayfly
- Periodic swarming to find new resources: Norway lemmings
- Congregating and physical stimulation trigger swarming: desert locusts
- Fins use to communicate: fish
- Mating flights associated with thunderstorms: moths
- Sensitivity encourages return to hive before storm: bees
- Swarms act as intelligent organizations: ants and bees
- Groups (self-organize) (21)
- Plants minimize water loss: desert
- Multifunctional integration is remedy for architecture: ecosystems
- Marking unrewarding routes: pharaoh ant
- Collaborating for group decisions: honeybees
- Group minimizes wind resistance: pelicans
- Groups move efficiently: army ants
- Functioning with efficiency and innovation: ecosystems
- Individual actions benefit group: white-fronted bee-eater
- Sustainable use of lands: grazing animals
- Community thrives: tropical rainforest ecosystems
- Chicks are fed equally: kingfisher
- Wood self-assembles: trees
- Colonies self-assemble: bacteria
- Communities develop and change: riparian habitat
- Communities recover from floods: riparian habitat
- Communal 'slime-ways' used to glide: marine slime mold
- Congregating and physical stimulation trigger swarming: desert locusts
- Group organization protects from the cold: emperor penguins
- Swarms act as intelligent organizations: ants and bees
- Gut:enhancing anaerobic digestion:earthworm
- Systems (2)
- Provide ecosystem services (173)
- Biological control of populations, pests, diseases (12)
- Sustainable use of lands: grazing animals
- Disturbances maintain habitat: Scandinavian heath and beech forests
- Ecosystems recover from disturbances: riparian habitat
- Nature maintains biodiversity: ecosystems
- Surviving changing conditions: ecosystems
- Long roots grow in saline water: Tamarix tree
- Predatory fish maintain ecosystem functions: lake ecosystem
- Resident insects protect nearby fields: hedgerows
- Fungal root-rot renews forest: mountain hemlock forests
- Ecosystem withstands attack: Kentucky bluegrass
- Leaves disorient beetles, prevent attack: cucumber
- Leaves communicate pest damage: plants
- Control erosion and sediment (10)
- Calming coastal waters: red mangrove
- Multiple organisms strip nutrients: forests
- Root systems control erosion: vascular plants
- Ecosystem demonstrates sustainability: prairie
- Reefs protect shorelines: sand tube
- Estuaries rely on ecosystem engineers: diatoms
- Mounds increase diversity: mound-building termites
- Fallen trees stabilize, enrich soil: Douglas fir forests
- Stream remodeling alters ecosystems: American beaver
- Stabilizing loose sand: spiders
- Cycle nutrients (19)
- Multiple organisms strip nutrients: forests
- Bacteria help volatilize and mineralize ammonia: termites
- Mats uniformly distribute resources: black grama grass
- Multiple organisms interact: soil ecosystem
- Feeding behavior increases nitrogen availability: nematodes
- Ecosystem demonstrates sustainability: prairie
- Nurse logs provide new habitat: western hemlock
- Insects digest fecal waste: dung beetles
- Insects cycle nutrients: periodic cicadas
- Exoskeletons excrete nitrogen waste: woodlice
- Stream community depends on ecosystem engineers: sediment-processing fish
- Collaboration benefits multiple participants: mangrove forests
- Relationship provides nutrients, stability: bracket fungi and trees
- Relationship provides nutrients, protection: ant-plants and ants
- Mounds increase diversity: mound-building termites
- Epiphytes capture nutrients: bromeliads
- Ecosystem manages poor soils: tropical rain forest
- Minerals conserved during moult: crustaceans
- Detoxification/purification of air/water/waste (4)
- Disperse seeds (33)
- Tension releases seeds: broom
- Evaporation releases seeds: Brazilian hura trees
- Structures facilitate pollen dispersal: pine trees
- Spring directs spore dispersal in low humidity: horsetail
- Spring directs spore dispersal in high humidity: horsetail
- Lower water content releases seeds: petunia
- Fire opens seed capsules: banksia
- Seedpod autorotates: sycamore
- Juice launches seeds: squirting cucumber
- Lightweight structure aids dispersal: dandelions
- Surface tension flings spores: fern
- Seeds survive extreme falls: Brazil nut tree
- Native plants persist in changing conditions: wetland ecosystems
- Seed dispersal aids recovery from disturbance: tropical rain forests
- Seeds survive various conditions: mangroves
- Capsules launch seeds: Namaqualand mesems
- Seeds float to the best conditions: red mangrove
- Saucer-like structure aids spore dispersal: bird's nest fungus
- Double-layered ball assists spore dispersal: earthstar fungus
- Fruiting tree holds key role in forest: Caesaria tree
- Seeds dispersed over long distances: Anisoptera tree
- Seeds are dispersed long distances: South African grapple plant
- Seeds dispersed across the sea: sea bean
- Seeds survive long sea voyages: coconut palm
- Single-winged seeds travel far: sycamore
- Seeds disperse long distances: liana
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Generate soil/renew fertility (9)
- Ecosystem demonstrates sustainability: prairie
- Teeth scrape and grind to break down coral: parrotfish
- Nurse logs provide new habitat: western hemlock
- Insects digest fecal waste: dung beetles
- Insects cycle nutrients: periodic cicadas
- Diversity increases efficiency: soil ecosystem
- Native plants persist in changing conditions: wetland ecosystems
- Natural disturbances enhance heterogeneity: forest ecosystems
- Fallen trees stabilize, enrich soil: Douglas fir forests
- Maintain biodiversity (36)
- Elevated rings increase diversity: seaside arrowgrass
- Pattern diversity: forest floor
- Multifunctional integration is remedy for architecture: ecosystems
- Shrub maintains biodiversity: Banksia
- Food web complexity increases along gradient: dune ecosystem
- Maintaining genetic and species diversity: black mustard
- Native plants persist in changing conditions: wetland ecosystems
- Community thrives: tropical rainforest ecosystems
- Ecosystem has long-term sustainability: dehesa ecosystem
- Natural disturbances enhance heterogeneity: forest ecosystems
- Enhancing species richness: beavers
- Stream community depends on ecosystem engineers: sediment-processing fish
- Estuaries rely on ecosystem engineers: diatoms
- Disturbances help maintain diversity: western hemlock-Sitka spruce forests
- Tussocks enhance species diversity: upright sedges
- Environmental disturbance promotes diversity: wet prairie ecosystem
- Disturbances maintain habitat: Scandinavian heath and beech forests
- Seed dispersal aids recovery from disturbance: tropical rain forests
- Disturbances maintain heterogeneity: Great Plains mesic grasslands
- Ecosystems recover from disturbances: riparian habitat
- Ecosystems have stability and resiliency: savannas
- Ecosystems have stability and biodiversity: savannas
- Mounds increase diversity: mound-building termites
- Microtopographic relief fosters diversity: wetland ecosystems
- Nature maintains biodiversity: ecosystems
- Pit-and-mound topography fosters biodiversity: Douglas fir forests
- Fallen trees stabilize, enrich soil: Douglas fir forests
- Canopies enhance species diversity: wetland ecosystems
- Species diversity maintains grasslands: Tanzania's Serengeti Plain
- Stream remodeling alters ecosystems: American beaver
- Predatory fish maintain ecosystem functions: lake ecosystem
- Tree and grass savanna maintains equilibrium: Transvaal savanna
- Fungal root-rot renews forest: mountain hemlock forests
- Fruiting tree holds key role in forest: Caesaria tree
- Diversity creates long-term stability: prairie grassland
- Termites are ecosystem engineers: mound-building termites
- Pollinate (6)
- Regulate atmospheric composition (0)
- Regulate climate (4)
- Regulate habitat response to disturbance (28)
- Habitat mosaics stop fires: beaver
- Native plants persist in changing conditions: wetland ecosystems
- Surviving disturbances: ecosystems
- Ecosystems recover from disturbance: forests
- Natural disturbances enhance heterogeneity: forest ecosystems
- Surviving in fire-prone areas: tropical gallery forest
- Disturbances maintain habitat: Scandinavian heath and beech forests
- Seed dispersal aids recovery from disturbance: tropical rain forests
- Ecosystems recover after disturbance: forests
- Ecosystems recover from disturbance: coral reefs
- Disturbances maintain heterogeneity: Great Plains mesic grasslands
- Communities develop and change: riparian habitat
- Communities recover from floods: riparian habitat
- Ecosystems recover from disturbances: riparian habitat
- Ecosystems have stability and resiliency: savannas
- Ecosystems have stability and biodiversity: savannas
- Mounds increase diversity: mound-building termites
- Microtopographic relief fosters diversity: wetland ecosystems
- Plant requirements govern recovery from disturbances: English woodland
- Nature maintains biodiversity: ecosystems
- Surviving changing conditions: ecosystems
- Species richness helps system respond to disturbance: ecosystems
- Pit-and-mound topography fosters biodiversity: Douglas fir forests
- Species diversity maintains grasslands: Tanzania's Serengeti Plain
- Fungal root-rot renews forest: mountain hemlock forests
- Fruiting tree holds key role in forest: Caesaria tree
- Diversity creates long-term stability: prairie grassland
- Ecosystem withstands attack: Kentucky bluegrass
- Regulate hydrological flows (6)
- Regulate water storage (6)
- Maintain physical integrity (778)
- Manage structural forces (284)
- Chemical wear (2)
- Compression (52)
- Bones self-heal: vertebrates
- Hole structure strengthens bone: horse
- Lightweighting: Scots pine
- Fibers keep tall spikes upright: titan arum
- Leaves given structural support: giant water-lily
- Nest cells support heavy weights: bees and wasps
- Structural composition provides strength in changing conditions: plants
- Rod-like reinforcements provide strength: plants
- Reinforced fibers provide strength: plants
- Lignified parenchyma cells provide strength: plants
- Sclereid cells prevent soft tissue collapse: plants
- Collenchyma cells provide strength, flexibility: plants
- Thickness stabilizes tall trees: baobob
- Fluid protects eggs: birds
- Intricate silica architecture survives forces: diatoms
- Interwoven trees gain structural support: tropical trees
- Cuticle provides protection: arthropods
- Spicules are rigid structural materials: sponges
- Matrix stiffens connective tissue: sponges
- Fibers reinforce hydrostatic skeletons: sunflowers
- Arches provide structural support: termites
- Crystals and fibers provide strength, flexibility: bones
- Circular, tapering beams stabilize: plants
- Shape distributes stress: sea urchin
- Fluid pressure provides support: blue crab
- Pressure provides structural support: blackback land crab
- Buttressing resists uprooting: English oak
- Trusses provide support: Cholla cactus
- Support cells resist compression: nasturtium
- Structure protects against compression loading: staghorn coral
- Bones absorb compression shock: birds
- Leaves resist bending: trees
- Variable postures aid intertidal zone survival: sea palm
- Skeleton provides support: sponges
- Flexural, torsional stiffness with minimal material use: organisms
- Systems allow changes in mechanical properties: organisms
- Thin "shells" resist impact loading: sea urchins
- Stems resist buckling: plants
- Leaves resist gravitational loading: broad-leaved trees
- Supportive gel enables extreme shape change: sea anemone
- Teeth resist compression and tension: animals that chew
- Jelly substance provides structural support: jellyfish
- Elastic ligament provides support, shock absorption: large grazing mammals
- Spines work as shock absorbers: West European hedgehog
- Tail prevents sinking: sturgeons
- Carrying heavy loads in flight: Eastern red bat
- Shell changes shape: pancake tortoise
- Branches provide support: Russian thistle
- Bones are lightweight yet strong: birds
- Teeth are resilient: sea otter
- Shells are tough: red abalone
- Creep (0)
- Extreme temperature (81)
- Feathers trap air to provide warmth: emperor penguin
- Down feathers insulate: king eider
- Feather structure insulates: Canada goose
- Compounds protect from extreme cold: a collembola
- Blood flow regulates heat exchange: alligator
- Amphibian withstands freezing: Siberian salamander
- Mound passively heats/cools: compass termite
- Body tissue survives freezing: red bat
- Hibernator survives cold: tenrec
- Glycoprotein prevents ice crystals: Antarctic ice fish
- Glycerol acts as antifreeze: parasitic wasp
- Glucose prevents formation of ice crystals: spring peepers
- Larvae survive freezing: midge
- Large ears aid cooling: elephant
- Worm tolerates temperature gradient of 140 deg F: Pompeii worm
- Antifreeze protects from cold: North American wood frog
- Mechanisms help thermoregulation: bumblebees
- Tubes help cool muscles, transport gases: insects
- Membranes avoid melting: methanogen (thermophile)
- Membranes avoid freezing: bacteria
- Ventilated nests remove heat and gas: termites
- Ventilated nests remove heat and gas: Macrotermes termites
- Varying response thresholds aid hive thermoregulation: honeybee
- Coat changes with the seasons: rock squirrel
- Liver survives cold temperatures: squirrel
- Holes in nest aid temperature regulation: wood ants
- Shape shades and enhances heat radiation: cactus
- Microcolonial fungi adapt to extreme conditions: fungi
- Dehydration helps survive freezing: Arctic springtail
- Pigments cells respond to hormones: African clawed frog
- Seed coat and enzymes protect seed: lotus
- Pouch dissipates heat: pelican
- Gular fluttering dissipates heat: nightjars
- Suspending reproduction conserves energy: insects
- Cryptobiosis protects from extremes: water bear
- Air scoops provide cooling: ants
- Architecture avoids flooding, creates microclimates: ants
- Density moderates microclimate: alpine sandwort
- Cuticle provides protection: arthropods
- Large ears used to cool off: jackrabbit
- Cuticle acts as cooling mechanism: Oriental hornet
- Vibration creates heat: honeybee
- Coat insulates against extreme cold: muskox
- Dense underfur insulates: reindeer
- Underhairs provide insulation: merino sheep
- Fur provides insulation: polar bear
- Sweating aids thermoregulation: mammals
- Waxy coating protects from heat and drought: euphorbia
- Leaves optimize internal state: mangrove
- Furry bracts serve as insulation: lobelia
- Ice in rosette protects bud from frost: lobelia
- Dead leaves function as insulation: giant groundsel
- Antifreeze prevents frost damage: giant groundsel
- Tightly packed stems insulate against cold: cushion plants
- Dense covering protects from cold: snow lotus
- Felt-like covering protects from cold: edelweiss
- Algae protects from freezing: snow algae
- Organism tolerates heat and desiccation: lichen
- Foam provides thermal and moisture control: spittlebug
- Compacted leaves form efficient heat insulation: grass tree
- Proteins retard crystallization: Antarctic fish
- Evaporative cooling lowers body temperature: Gila monster
- Surviving extreme temperatures: tubeworms
- Branches protected from the sun: quiver tree
- Threads transfer movement to capsule: jumping bean moth caterpillar
- Sugars assist desiccation tolerance: spikemoss
- Furry bracts serve as insulation: lobelia
- Relationship provides thermal protection: hot springs panic grass, fungus
- Blood vessels regulate temperature: vertebrates
- Carotid rete cools brain: Thomson's gazelle
- Lingual rete precools blood: gray whale
- Underground dens protect from cold: snakes
- Managing high temperatures: tenrecs
- Body temperature regulated in hot environment: African camels
- Nest kept warm: mallee fowl
- Leaves protect from the elements: conifers
- Group organization protects from the cold: emperor penguins
- Fatty acids prevent freezing: cotton plants
- Impact (46)
- Micro-tile Covered Foam
- Beak design absorbs high-energy impacts: toco toucan
- Bones self-heal: vertebrates
- Intricate silica architecture survives forces: diatoms
- Web absorbs impacts: spiders
- Footpads dampen shock: bush-cricket
- Iron sulphide minerals reinforce scales: golden scale snail
- Insect elytra resist shear and cracking: beetles
- Tissues resist bending under stress: giant green anemone
- Crystals and fibers provide strength, flexibility: bones
- Coating protects during impacts: fleas
- Shells resist external loading: birds
- Spinal column has strength and flexibility: armored shrew
- Ctenoid scales form protective layer: bony fish
- Scales form protective layer: bony fish
- Fine strands stabilize bones: humans
- Acrobatics used to land: house fly
- Rolling into a ball for protection: armadillo
- Rolling into a ball for protection: pill millipede
- Rolling locomotion used for hilly terrain: Mount Lyell salamander
- Organic cases provide protection: bagworm moths
- Seeds survive extreme falls: Brazil nut tree
- Arrangement allows self-cushioning: spittle bug
- Feet used to slow landings: true frogs
- Bones absorb compression shock: birds
- Structures minimize materials, maximize strength: organisms
- Pads cushion feet: mammals
- Thin "shells" resist impact loading: sea urchins
- Elastic ligament provides support, shock absorption: large grazing mammals
- Shell protects, supports, and allows for growth: shelled mollusks
- Skeletal construction provides shock absorption: cats
- Spines work as shock absorbers: West European hedgehog
- Structures optimize material use: plants
- Eggs protected from scratches and impacts: rainbird
- Exoskeleton absorbs shock: dragonfly
- Design features aid efficient attachment: lice
- Covering protects eye: pied kingfisher
- Body protected from diving impact: brown pelican
- Head protected from minor impacts: cassowaries
- Eyes protected underwater: crocodile
- Branches provide support: Russian thistle
- Body manages impact: woodpecker
- Bones are lightweight yet strong: birds
- Shells are tough: red abalone
- Mechanical wear (30)
- Anchor has flexibility: bull kelp
- Macromolecules aid joint lubrication: humans
- Skin, mucus prevent abrasion: blennies
- Tongue moves fast: chameleons
- Sticky berries adhere: European mistletoe
- Fluid lubricates joints: vertebrates
- Resin protects damage: conifer trees
- Seed coat and enzymes protect seed: lotus
- Teeth self-sharpen: sea urchins
- Skin exhibits low friction: sandfish skink
- Teeth are self-sharpening: American beaver
- Moving parts are lubricated: diatoms
- Employing frictional devices: tenebrionid beetles
- Scales protect skin: cartilaginous fish
- Sharp teeth always available: nurse sharks
- Skin properties derive from arrangement of components: mammals
- Body sheds dirt particles: stonefly larvae
- Teeth specialized to diet: macropods
- Specialized teeth wear down but remain effective: grazing animals
- Teeth resist compression and tension: animals that chew
- Eggs protected from scratches and impacts: rainbird
- Teeth replace themselves: kangaroo
- Skin protected when burrowing: platypus
- Wings fold multiple times without wear: beetles
- Tongue protected from thorns: giraffe
- Seeds dispersed across the sea: sea bean
- Seeds survive long sea voyages: coconut palm
- Shear (16)
- Spiral fibers strengthen tree trunks: whitebark pine
- Stretchable architecture resists breakage: bull kelp
- Bones self-heal: vertebrates
- Lightweighting: Scots pine
- Insect elytra resist shear and cracking: beetles
- Tissues resist bending under stress: giant green anemone
- Pulled support stalks have low flow stress: algae
- Wood resists fracture: trees
- Circular, tapering beams stabilize: plants
- Joint shaped as suction cup prevents peeling: bull kelp
- Leaves resist bending: trees
- Resisting shearing forces: limpets
- Setae enhance temporary adhesion: leaf beetles
- Variable postures aid intertidal zone survival: sea palm
- Flexural, torsional stiffness with minimal material use: organisms
- Design features aid efficient attachment: lice
- Tension (27)
- Lightweighting: Scots pine
- Stretchable architecture resists breakage: bull kelp
- Bones self-heal: vertebrates
- Stretching mechanism prevents fracture: blue mussel
- Two-phase composite tissues handle tension: pipevine
- Walls prevent collapse under tension: plants
- Pulled support stalks have low flow stress: algae
- Intricate silica architecture survives forces: diatoms
- Arterial walls resist stretch disproportionately: cephalopods
- Crystals and fibers provide strength, flexibility: bones
- Circular, tapering beams stabilize: plants
- Curved spine deals with tension: sloth
- Trees resist uprooting: cypress trees
- Fluid pressure provides support: blue crab
- Pressure provides structural support: blackback land crab
- Resisting shearing forces: limpets
- Variable postures aid intertidal zone survival: sea palm
- Leaves resist gravitational loading: broad-leaved trees
- Byssus threads resist hydrodynamic forces.
- Silk used for various functions: spiders
- Teeth resist compression and tension: animals that chew
- Tentacles maintain tension as flow increases: marine polychaete worm
- Elastic ligament provides support, shock absorption: large grazing mammals
- Low-energy perching: mousebird
- Bones are lightweight yet strong: birds
- Membranes get fatter when stretched: cells
- Teeth are resilient: sea otter
- Thermal shock (4)
- Turbulence (26)
- Spiral-shaped flow is optimal: bull kelp
- Branches protect by breaking: Caribbean stony coral
- Adhesion occurs in varying conditions: keyhole limpet
- Snout reduces turbulence: dolphin
- Body shape reduces friction: dolphin
- Mucus reduces turbulence: barracuda
- Joint aids suspension feeding: sea pen
- Guard hairs form waterproof barrier: seals
- Parasite attaches underwater: copepod
- Scales form protective layer: bony fish
- Shield and spoilers decrease lift in water: mayfly
- Joint shaped as suction cup prevents peeling: bull kelp
- Adapting swimming technique: lamprey
- Group minimizes wind resistance: pelicans
- Highly effective swimming: fish
- Bill reduces drag: black skimmer
- Wing scales provide lift: butterflies
- Moving efficiently through water: aquatic animals
- Variable postures aid intertidal zone survival: sea palm
- Byssus threads resist hydrodynamic forces.
- Tentacles maintain tension as flow increases: marine polychaete worm
- Fur decreases water turbulence: seals
- Head kept motionless in flight: kestrel
- Flotation in turbulent waters: Heteropterid bugs
- Fins provide streamlined shape: tuna
- Prevent structural failure (53)
- Buckling (14)
- Nodes and pneumatic structures give support: Dutch rush
- Thin-walled tubular stems resist buckling: bamboo
- Quills resist buckling: porcupine
- Siliceous skeleton provides support: Venus flower basket
- Shape of feather shafts protect from wind: birds
- Crystals and fibers provide strength, flexibility: bones
- Organic cases provide protection: bagworm moths
- Bones absorb compression shock: birds
- Leaves resist bending: trees
- Skeleton provides support: sponges
- Flexural, torsional stiffness with minimal material use: organisms
- Stems resist buckling: plants
- Spines work as shock absorbers: West European hedgehog
- Stems vary stiffness: scouring horsetail
- Deformation (4)
- Fatigue (4)
- Fracture (rupture) (31)
- Bones self-heal: vertebrates
- Iron sulphide minerals reinforce scales: golden scale snail
- Insect elytra resist shear and cracking: beetles
- Tendons and bones form seamless attachment: Chordates
- Leaves resist tearing: brown algae
- Microscopic holes deter fractures: starfish
- Spicules help resist fractures: sponges
- Extensibility helps stop spread of cracks: macroalgae
- Shell resists cracking: scallop
- Leaves resist crosswise tearing: grasses
- Antlers resist fracture: mammals
- Scales prevent structural penetration: fig
- Resin protects damage: conifer trees
- Crystals and fibers provide strength, flexibility: bones
- Arterial walls resist stretch disproportionately: cephalopods
- Hooves resist cracking: horse
- Continuous fibers prevent structural weakness: trees
- Ctenoid scales form protective layer: bony fish
- Scales form protective layer: bony fish
- Scales form protective armor: garpike
- Shape distributes stress: sea urchin
- Erythrocytes swell without rupturing: dromedary camel
- Membranes self-repair: cells
- Uterus expands/contracts: mammals
- Transport system prevents spread of embolisms: conifers
- Leaves resist bending: trees
- Flexural, torsional stiffness with minimal material use: organisms
- Jaws swallow eggs whole: egg-eating snakes
- Eggs protected from scratches and impacts: rainbird
- Vines repair themselves: pipevine
- Shells are tough: red abalone
- Melting (0)
- Protect from abiotic factors (183)
- Chemical toxins (17)
- Clay protects from toxic sap: macaws
- Mucus inhibits nematocyst firing: shag-rug aeolis
- Digestive system protects against toxins: monarchs
- Surviving oil ponds: petroleum flies
- Immune system protects from toxin: horse mackerel
- Alkaline surfaces volatilize ammonia: loach
- Cryptobiosis protects from extremes: water bear
- Bacteria help volatilize and mineralize ammonia: termites
- Cells detect and sequester toxic copper: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Mucus coat protects against stings: clownfish
- Resilin maintains size.
- Exoskeletons excrete nitrogen waste: woodlice
- Membranes tolerate high alkalinity: cyanobacteria
- Dietary supplement neutralizes toxic foods: Zanzibar red colobus
- Larvae survive in digestive liquids: flesh flies
- Larvae protect from cyanide: Sara longwing butterfly
- Dirt/solids (12)
- Electric current reduces friction: common earthworm
- Wings shed dirt and water: cicada
- Wing surface self-cleans: Morpho butterfly
- Hydrophobic surface allows self-cleaning: sacred lotus
- Convex surface geometry resists adhesion: pumpkin
- Coating keeps pores open: loon
- Temporary covering protects from dirt and impact: mammals
- Augmenting soil ventilation: short-beaked echidna
- Body sheds dirt particles: stonefly larvae
- Skin stays clean: earthworm
- Lips keep soil out of mouth: African mole-rat
- Body resists soil adhesion: dung beetle
- Excess liquids (42)
- Mixture waterproofs nests: paper wasps
- Grooves shed water: doves
- Valve regulates water permeability: yellow bush lupine
- Hydrophobic surface allows self-cleaning: sacred lotus
- Bract forms waterproof structure: titan arum
- Cicada wings are superhydrophobic.
- Mounds shed water: West African termites
- Nest sheds water: tropical hornet
- Seed coat and enzymes protect seed: lotus
- Secretion waterproofs nest: plasterer bee
- Dikes prevent flooding: ground squirrel
- Cork bars water, dissolved ions and gases: plants
- Leaf surfaces are hydrophobic: Lady's mantle
- Case protects during years at sea: Polynesian box fruit
- Coating keeps pores open: loon
- Architecture avoids flooding, creates microclimates: ants
- Waxy coat controls moisture loss: cockroach
- Silk protects from flooding, captures water: barking spider
- Rind resists rotting: flowering plants
- Convex surface geometry resists adhesion: pumpkin
- Ear flaps keep water out: otters
- Beak protects during dives: cape gannet
- Guard hairs repel water: reindeer
- Guard hairs form waterproof barrier: seals
- Feathers protect from water: penguin
- Seed compartment impervious to rain: Namaqualand mesems
- Nest openings protect from floods: ants
- Floating mats adjust to water levels: beaked sedge
- Plants rise above flooding: peatland plants
- Foam provides thermal and moisture control: spittlebug
- Hairs prevent entry of water: rat-tailed maggot
- Native plants persist in changing conditions: wetland ecosystems
- Ecosystem manages poor soils: tropical rain forest
- Flotation in turbulent waters: Heteropterid bugs
- Tail used for reproductive advantage: damselfly
- Ears seal out water: crocodile
- Seeds dispersed across the sea: sea bean
- Seeds survive long sea voyages: coconut palm
- Flower structures protect pollen: angiosperms
- Fire (10)
- Dead leaves insulate against fire: cape aloe
- Thick leaves, pseudobulb resist fire: Victorian orchid
- Bark protects buds from fire: eucalyptus trees
- Dormant buds ensure fire survival: jarrah
- Compacted leaves form efficient heat insulation: grass tree
- Underground storage enables regeneration: jarrah trees
- Surviving in fire-prone areas: tropical gallery forest
- Increasing fire resistance: Arizona fescue
- Bark resists fire: ordeal tree
- Growth rate aids fire resistance: camel's foot tree
- Gases (4)
- Ice (3)
- Light (18)
- Case protects during years at sea: Polynesian box fruit
- Compounds cause UV tolerance: yeast
- Compounds cause UV radiation tolerance: dinoflagellates
- Mycosporines protect from UV light, desiccation: microcolonial fungi
- Hardened bubbles provide protection: foam-nesting frog
- Pigment filters excessive light: balloonfish
- Pigments cells respond to hormones: African clawed frog
- Seed coat and enzymes protect seed: lotus
- Screen protects symbiotic algae from light: giant clam
- Red pigment protects against UV rays: snow algae
- Fungal skin prevents water loss: lichens
- Branches protected from the sun: quiver tree
- Sweat protects skin: hippopotamus
- Fungus provides UV protection: lichens
- Eyes manage glare: kingfishers
- Iridescent thin layer provides photoprotection: understory rainforest plants
- Skin self-repairs: kangaroo
- Loss of gases (3)
- Loss of liquids (52)
- Nasal surfaces remove water vapor: camel
- Platelets block blood loss: humans
- Hardened bubbles provide protection: foam-nesting frog
- Sugars assist desiccation tolerance: spikemoss
- Glassiness protects plants in drought: blue gem plant
- Leaves survive desiccation: Spanish moss
- Skin protects from dehydration: file snake
- Skin protects from water loss: humans
- Skin prevents dehydration: foam-nest treefrog
- Skin protects from water loss: desert lark
- Preening waterproofs feathers: birds
- Mammalian clotting mechanism prevents loss of blood.
- Special mixture waterproofs cocoon: pussmoth
- Shell provides drought protection: lungfish
- Membrane reduces evaporation: land snail
- Cryptobiosis protects from extremes: water bear
- Anhydrobiosis protects during desiccation: nematodes
- Waterproof lipid-layer prevents desiccation: frogs
- Cactus hides from the sun: mescal cactus
- Pollen coat prevents dehydration: plants
- Case protects during years at sea: Polynesian box fruit
- Waxy coat controls moisture loss: cockroach
- Mycosporines protect from UV light, desiccation: microcolonial fungi
- Hairs prevent evaporation: arid zone plants
- Exploding plug prevents mating: honeybee
- Chemical plug prevents mating: butterfly
- Density moderates microclimate: alpine sandwort
- Nasal turbinates reduce water loss: northern elephant seal
- Skin secretion slows desiccation: lesser siren
- Skin prevents water loss: crocodiles
- Air holes protect from dehydration: moon moth
- Protective coating prevents dehydration: sea-wracks
- Waxy coating protects from heat and drought: euphorbia
- Leaves optimize internal state: mangrove
- Elevated leaves reduce evaporation: quiver tree
- Round shape reduces water loss: pebble plants
- Slime inhibits evaporation: lobelia
- Bulk prevents moisture loss: cushion plants
- Organism tolerates heat and desiccation: lichen
- Fungal skin prevents water loss: lichens
- Concentrated form reduces water requirements: frogs
- Tree structure reduces water loss: umbrella thorn trees
- Foam provides thermal and moisture control: spittlebug
- Mechanism to seal joint prevents depressurization: spiders
- Membranes self-repair: cells
- Transport system prevents spread of embolisms: conifers
- Skin properties derive from arrangement of components: mammals
- Seeds survive various conditions: mangroves
- Ecosystem manages poor soils: tropical rain forest
- Foam builds shelter, provides water: Japanese flying frog
- Leaves protect from the elements: conifers
- Nuclear radiation (4)
- Wind (18)
- Tightly packed stems protect from wind: cushion plants
- Branches protect plant from wind: Arctic willow
- Branches survive intense wind: live oak
- Plant growth responds to touch: wall cress
- Weak leaves deal with strong winds: plants
- Flexibility limits bending in wind: trees
- Flexibility allows twisting, not bending, in wind: sedges
- Flexibility encourages twisting, not bending: banana
- Flexibility reduces drag: daffodil
- Hairs prevent evaporation: arid zone plants
- Furry bracts serve as insulation: lobelia
- Buttressing resists uprooting: English oak
- Roots stabilize trees against wind: longleaf pine
- Furry bracts serve as insulation: lobelia
- Relationship provides nutrients, stability: bracket fungi and trees
- Leaves resist bending: trees
- Wingtip feathers increase aerodynamic efficiency: flying birds
- Leaves resist gravitational loading: broad-leaved trees
- Protect from biotic factors (169)
- Animals (114)
- Rapid color change used for protection: cuttlefish
- Eyes are anti-reflective: elephant hawk-moth
- Delete, me thinks - Rapid color change used for protection: cuttlefish
- Slime and fibers protect: hagfish
- Secretions repel insects, bacteria: giraffe
- Poison protects seeds: yews
- Strychnine protects seeds: strychnine trees
- Toxic sap protects tree seeds: hura tree
- Tastiness protects seeds from beetles: acacia
- Red leaves hide plants from insects: plants
- Leaf tents hide caterpillars: Bornean moths
- Microscopic silica blades protect: meadow grasses
- Poisonous sting wards off predators: nettles
- Pheromone mimic repels aphids: South American potato
- Hormone mimic protects from caterpillars: bugleweed
- Cyanide protects from herbivores: brackenfern
- Cyanogenic poison protects from herbivores: acacia
- Plant poison neutralizes digestive juices: cotton grass
- Toxic latex protects from herbivores: milkweeds
- Larvae produce deadly toxin: leaf beetle
- Scales prevent structural penetration: fig
- Resin protects damage: conifer trees
- Scales provide flexible, strong protection: pangolin
- Electric organs generate volts: rajid skates
- Electric organs generate volts: electric stargazers
- Electric organ stuns prey, deters attackers: electric catfish
- Flower's pattern attracts/deters insects: Aaron's beard
- Tail shedding protects from predators: lizard
- Tail shedding protects from predators: salamander
- Limbs sacrificed to escape predators: crabs
- Yellow flower has an ultraviolet pattern seen by insects.
- Iron sulphide minerals reinforce scales: golden scale snail
- Ankle spur protects from predators: platypus
- Glue protects from insect bites: burrowing frog
- Stripes serve as long-distance camouflage: lionfish
- Threads adhere underwater: sea cucumber
- Limb shedding assists escape: starfish
- Tail shedding allows escape: rodents
- Case protects during years at sea: Polynesian box fruit
- Cocoon provides hard, protective casing: puss moth
- Chemical repels insects: catnip
- Liquids protect against ants: termites
- Chemicals used in defense: termites
- Hardened bubbles provide protection: foam-nesting frog
- Pigment granules assist hiding: ray-finned fish
- Pigments cells respond to hormones: African clawed frog
- Self-medicating with plants: chimpanzees
- Self-medicating cures infections, stops pain: baboons
- Detachable bristles immobilize ants: Polyxenid millipede
- Ctenoid scales form protective layer: bony fish
- Scales form protective layer: bony fish
- Scales form protective armor: garpike
- Neurotoxin protects from predators: poison-dart frog
- Armor protects from predators: armadillo
- Rolling locomotion aids escape: mother-of-pearl moth caterpillar
- Vibrations attract ants: Australian blue butterfly
- Secretions deter predators: grasshoppers
- Reflex "bleeding" deters predators: ladybug
- Reflex "bleeding" deters predators: bloody-nosed beetle
- Poisonous secretions deter predators: blister beetle
- Nests are parasite-free: eagles
- Nests are parasite-free: house sparrow
- Nests are parasite-free: starling
- Ink cloud distracts predators: octopus
- Rolling into a ball for protection: armadillo
- Rolling into a ball for protection: pill millipede
- Noxious spray deters predators: skunk
- Skin and feathers deter ectoparasites: black pitohui bird
- Toxins protect from predators: jellyfish
- Threads transfer movement to capsule: jumping bean moth caterpillar
- Plants enhance health: golden bee
- Deployable web distracts predators: blanket octopus
- Organic cases provide protection: bagworm moths
- Inflating for protection: porcupinefish
- Portable cases protect from predators: caddisflies
- Bubbles protect against predators: spittle bug
- Skin resists microorganisms: pilot whale
- Tentacles detect predators: queen scallop
- Relationship protects from predators: clownfish, anemones
- Lack of wing scales enhances camouflage: clearwing butterfies
- Scales protect skin: cartilaginous fish
- Trunk protected from predators: half-mens plant
- Camouflage reduces herbivory: pebble plants
- Relationship provides nutrients, protection: ant-plants and ants
- Surviving changing conditions: ecosystems
- Species richness helps system respond to disturbance: ecosystems
- Leaf serves as container: red oak roller weevil
- Providing shelter for multiple organisms: English oak
- Thin "shells" resist impact loading: sea urchins
- Species diversity maintains grasslands: Tanzania's Serengeti Plain
- Shell protects, supports, and allows for growth: shelled mollusks
- Resident insects protect nearby fields: hedgerows
- Wrinkly surface provides desert camouflage: Tamaulipas living rock cactus
- Detecting presence and movement of predators: nocturnal moth
- Wing scales help camouflage from sonar: moth
- Leaves disorient beetles, prevent attack: cucumber
- Leaves communicate pest damage: plants
- Defense mechanism deters predators: wood snakes
- Reflex bleeding deters predators: fireflies
- Eyes squirt blood: horned lizard
- Wings allow escape from spider webs: butterflies
- Relationship provides nutrients, housing, protection: bull horn acacia and acacia ants
- Fins use to communicate: fish
- Durable nest is predator-proof: Eurasian penduline tit
- Long-distance communication protects from predators: Okapis
- Abrupt flight patterns help evade predators: moths
- Hinged casing closes for protection: ciliate
- Squirting filaments protect from predators: pussmoth caterpillar
- Secondhand weapons protect from predators: sea slug
- Flowers protect from unwanted visitors: mistletoe
- Leaves signal presence of predators: acacia
- Leaves protect from herbivory: Australian stinging tree
- Fungi (14)
- Social system protects from disease: dampwood termites
- Chemical protects from disease: grapes
- Rind resists rotting: flowering plants
- By-products inhibit yeast and fungi: Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Bacteria fight fungus: leafcutter ants
- Milk protects against microbes: tammar wallaby
- Saliva protects from infection: cattle calf
- Preening waterproofs feathers: birds
- Seed coat and enzymes protect seed: lotus
- Secretions are antibacterial, antifungal: leaf-cutter ants
- Self-medicating with plants: chimpanzees
- Plant resists blister blight: tea plant
- Coating removes unwanted organisms: trees
- Colonial living leads to long-term survival: fungi
- Microbes (39)
- Biofilm-inhibiting chemical protects surfaces: red alga
- Saliva protects from infection: cattle calf
- Protein prevents bacterial adherence: Lactobacillus fermentum
- Biofilms protect bacteria: gram negative bacteria
- Biofilm inhibition protects surfaces: peas
- Biofilm inhibition protects surfaces: freshwater algae
- Secretions are antibacterial: greenbottle fly
- Larvae prevent mold growth: Passalid beetle
- Secretions are antibacterial, antifungal: leaf-cutter ants
- Excretions provide antimicrobial protection: olive trees
- Excretions provide antimicrobial protection: biscuitroot
- Lichen metabolite has antimicrobial activity: lichens
- Case protects during years at sea: Polynesian box fruit
- Milk protects against microbes: tammar wallaby
- Self-medicating with plants: chimpanzees
- Self-medicating cures infections, stops pain: baboons
- Self-medicating to prevent malaria: house sparrows
- Mucins trap pathogens: animals
- Hardened bubbles provide protection: foam-nesting frog
- Secretions repel insects, bacteria: giraffe
- Social system protects from disease: dampwood termites
- Chemical protects from disease: grapes
- Rind resists rotting: flowering plants
- Preening waterproofs feathers: birds
- Secretion waterproofs nest: plasterer bee
- Peptide defensin fights pathogens: animals
- Photoperiod affects immune response: Siberian hamster
- Mucus has antibacterial properties: bony fish
- Stabilized bromine protects from bacteria: kelp
- Coating removes unwanted organisms: trees
- Resin provides immunity, ability to self-heal: commiphora tree
- Colonial living leads to long-term survival: fungi
- Skin resists microorganisms: pilot whale
- Sweat protects skin: hippopotamus
- Polypeptide inhibits microbial growth: California sea hare
- Digestive solution removes excess algae: giant clam
- Surviving changing conditions: ecosystems
- Skin inhibits microbes: shark
- Plants enhance health: golden bee
- Plants (2)
- Regulate physiological processes (89)
- Cellular processes (11)
- Gorilla diet protects heart: grains of paradise
- Just-in-time manufacturing conserves resources: snakes
- Gene transfers enhance photosynthesis: marine viruses
- Fish thrives in freshwater and seawater: Atlantic salmon
- Thylakoidal system transports folded proteins: plants
- Membranes self-repair: cells
- Muscles flex: humans
- Photosynthesis with low CO2: peatland plants
- Surviving extended confinement: lungfish
- Iridescent thin layer provides photoprotection: understory rainforest plants
- Homeostasis (43)
- Glands remove salt: penguins
- Metabolism slows when food is scarce: hummingbird
- Cells manage monovalent ions: fish
- Adaptations allow ingestion of salt water: loons
- Pouch dissipates heat: pelican
- Gular fluttering dissipates heat: nightjars
- Torpor conserves energy: common poorwill
- Changes enable hibernation: hedgehog
- Hibernator survives low food supply: basking shark
- Large ears aid cooling: elephant
- Internal thermostat regulates temperature: skunk cabbage
- Mechanisms help thermoregulation: bumblebees
- Varying response thresholds aid hive thermoregulation: honeybee
- Coat changes with the seasons: rock squirrel
- Liver survives cold temperatures: squirrel
- Holes in nest aid temperature regulation: wood ants
- Respiration rate allows survival in low oxygen: blind shark
- Pressure assists blood circulation: giraffe
- Membranes desalinate water: mangrove
- Fish thrives in freshwater and seawater: Atlantic salmon
- Hibernator survives cold: tenrec
- Cryptobiosis protects from extremes: water bear
- Alkaline surfaces volatilize ammonia: loach
- Tubes help cool muscles, transport gases: insects
- Embryos survive without oxygen: killifish
- Large ears used to cool off: jackrabbit
- Mast cells reduce inflammation: mammals
- Underhairs provide insulation: merino sheep
- Intestine osmoregulates: marine teleosts
- Wing scales aid thermoregulation: green birdwing butterfly
- Sweating aids thermoregulation: mammals
- Plasma maintains salt balance: crab-eating frog
- Membranes maintain salt balance: crab-eating frog
- Glands excrete excess salt: mangrove
- Old leaves help remove excess salt: mangrove
- Transport system prevents spread of embolisms: conifers
- Sensing and sharing information: neurons
- Exoskeletons excrete nitrogen waste: woodlice
- Blood vessels regulate temperature: vertebrates
- Carotid rete cools brain: Thomson's gazelle
- Lingual rete precools blood: gray whale
- Digestive solution removes excess algae: giant clam
- Managing high temperatures: tenrecs
- Reproduction or growth (35)
- Exploding plug prevents mating: honeybee
- Chemical plug prevents mating: butterfly
- Lunar cycle triggers reproduction: Pacific palolo worm
- Suspending reproduction conserves energy: insects
- Altering host's reproductive system improves viability: Wolbachia bacteria
- Eating leaves to control reproduction: chimpanzees
- Foods reduce or enhance fertility: woolly spider monkey
- Sex of offspring controlled: mantled howler monkey
- Eating bark to induce labor: elephant
- Embryos go into dormancy: red kangaroo
- Burning stimulates flowering: grass trees
- Investing resources increases competitive success: trees
- Surviving low nutrient, low light conditions: peatland plants
- Growth rate aids fire resistance: camel's foot tree
- Environment tailors growth: organisms
- Selective strategies aid competitive success: mangrove forests
- Water aids pollination: eelgrass
- Seeds float to the best conditions: red mangrove
- Flowers accommodate short growing season: alpine snowbell
- Tail used for reproductive advantage: damselfly
- Conserving energy in times of scarcity: basking shark
- Periodic emergence synchronized: cicadas
- Cyclical emergence optimizes reproduction: mayfly
- Relationships essential to pollination: Brazil nut tree
- Sensitive antennae detect sex pheromones: Indian luna moth
- Antennae used to detect pheromones, find mates: moths
- Nest kept warm: mallee fowl
- Minerals conserved during moult: crustaceans
- Stigmas ensure pollination: angiosperms
- Biopolymer stops shell growth: oyster
- Mutant gene flattens leaves: snapdragon
- Sex of offspring controlled: plant lice
- Make (119)
- Chemically assemble (20)
- Attach a functional group (0)
- Catalyze chemical reactions (3)
- Detach a functional group (0)
- Inorganic compounds (0)
- Metal-based compounds (2)
- Mineral crystals (3)
- Molecular devices (0)
- On demand (2)
- Organic compounds (6)
- Polymers (4)
- Specific stereoisomers (0)
- Generate/convert energy (56)
- Chemical energy (8)
- Catalysts facilitate water-splitting: plants
- Fueled by hydrogen: thermal pool microbes
- Photosynthesis: Cooke's koki'o
- Creating energy from sunlight: plants
- Converting radiation to chemical energy: black fungus
- Pigments 'photosynthesize' without CO2: Halobacteria
- Gut:enhancing anaerobic digestion:earthworm
- Increase biofuel yields: microorganism metabolic engineering
- Electrical energy (10)
- Organ generates electricity: electric stargazer
- Electric organs generate volts: ray
- Electrosensitivity used to navigate: rattlesnake
- Bacteria create a natural battery: Geobacter sulfurreducens
- Wire-like structures conduct electricity: Shewanella oneidensis
- Producing energy from sugars: cells
- Ears convert energy: humans
- Creating energy from sunlight: plants
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Magnetic energy (0)
- Mechanical energy (23)
- Claw snaps shut: pistol shrimp
- Vibration moves wings: flies
- Legs propel insect far: flea
- Appendage strikes with force: mantis shrimp
- Catches in wings hold, release tension: bees
- Body fluids help molt, extend wings: dragonfly
- Resilin gives wings flexibility: insects
- Legs use hydraulics: spiders
- Fly has fast wingbeat: fruit fly
- Hydration increases internal pressure: legumes
- Sporangium launches spores: pilobolus fungus
- Ears convert energy: humans
- Wings generate lift: honeybee
- Energy stored to amplify power: click beetle
- Energy stored to amplify power: locusts
- Catapulting transports worms: nematode
- Lunging after prey: dragonfly larvae
- Swimming efficiently: sharks
- Tube feet assist locomotion, feeding: lined sea star
- Legs 'row' across water: fishing spider
- Appendage causes high jumps: springtails
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Radiant energy (light) (6)
- Thermal energy (9)
- Thermogenesis attracts pollinators: cycads
- Muscles produce energy and heat: mammals
- Electron flow generates heat: sacred lotus
- Shivering produces heat: mammals
- Flower creates heat: philodendron
- Brown fat oxidation generates heat: ground squirrel
- Combustion chamber sprays scalding liquid: bombardier beetle
- Vibration creates heat: honeybee
- Nest kept warm: mallee fowl
- Physically assemble (42)
- Structure (42)
- Structure and shape provide flexibility: vines
- Arches provide structural support: termites
- Fibers reinforce nests: wasps
- Dome-shape protects nest: ovenbird
- Nest is reinforced: magpie lark
- Vibration firms mud nest: apostle bird
- Vibration firms mud nest: white-winged chough
- Construction pattern forms sturdy tubes: organ-pipe wasp
- Saliva used as glue: swifts
- Tail shedding protects from predators: lizard
- Tail shedding protects from predators: salamander
- Scales form protective armor: garpike
- Shapes cover curved surfaces efficiently: tortoise
- 120°, three-way junctions optimize material use: honeybees
- Organic cases provide protection: bagworm moths
- Portable cases protect from predators: caddisflies
- Paper produced for nest-building: hornets
- Sharp teeth always available: nurse sharks
- Filaments adopt geometric symmetry: mammals
- Plant requirements govern recovery from disturbances: English woodland
- Double-layered ball assists spore dispersal: earthstar fungus
- Leaf serves as container: red oak roller weevil
- Providing shelter for multiple organisms: English oak
- Appendages used for movement and filtering: Daphnia
- Joints have two degrees of bending freedom: arthropods
- Leaves resist gravitational loading: broad-leaved trees
- Sand pit captures prey: ant lion larvae
- Specialized teeth wear down but remain effective: grazing animals
- Shell protects, supports, and allows for growth: shelled mollusks
- Skeleton components arranged efficiently: starfish
- Heat creates precise shapes: bees
- Structures optimize material use: plants
- Underground dens protect from cold: snakes
- Jaws excavate sand: ant lion larvae
- Durable nest is predator-proof: Eurasian penduline tit
- Durable casing built with sand: protozoans
- Bubble raft used to float on water: violet snail
- Larvae produce foam: meadow spittlebug
- Nest lined with protective material: song thrush
- Nest structurally reinforced: jet ant
- Nests made of paper: termites
- Nests made of paper: paper wasps
- Reproduce (1)
- Self-replicate (1)
- Modify (282)
- Adapt/optimize (77)
- Adapt behaviors (19)
- Nests are dynamic: Temnothorax ants
- Diet compensates for mineral deficiencies: red deer
- Adapting swimming technique: lamprey
- Adapting to survive: living systems
- Functioning with efficiency and innovation: ecosystems
- Multitasking on the move: pseudoscorpions
- Sustainable use of lands: grazing animals
- Surviving low nutrient, low light conditions: peatland plants
- Photosynthesis with low CO2: peatland plants
- Flowers accommodate short growing season: alpine snowbell
- Moving efficiently across sand: sidewinder
- Efficient movement across land: snakes
- Moving efficiently through water: aquatic animals
- Photosynthesis in low-light conditions: Taeniophyllum orchid
- Appendages used for movement and filtering: Daphnia
- Head kept motionless in flight: kestrel
- Wings work in unison: insects
- Managing irregular food supplies: crossbills
- Adapt genotype (0)
- Adapt phenotype (7)
- Coevolve (4)
- Optimize space/materials (47)
- Shell is minimum free energy structure: viruses
- Folds allow efficient leaf deployment: plants
- Skin is a multifunctional material: human
- Roots maximize water uptake: plants
- Mound passively heats/cools: compass termite
- Nest maximizes solar heat absorption: wood ants
- Air flow system, sacs provide efficient gas exchange: birds
- Structures maximize light absorption: plants
- Body shape reduces friction: dolphin
- Cells maximize flexibility, efficiency: vertebrates
- Shapes cover curved surfaces efficiently: tortoise
- 120°, three-way junctions optimize material use: honeybees
- Branching protects from blockages: blue whales
- Large volumes move through small spaces: common earthworm
- Leaves optimize internal state: mangrove
- Fibonacci sequence optimizes packing: sunflowers
- Branches accommodate algae: sea slug
- Eyes see in the dark: oilbird
- Organic composite is exceptionally robust: jumbo squid
- Optimizing nest spacing aids survival: cliff swallow
- Optimizing size aids survival: sessile barnacles
- Optimally packing spheres: spittle bug
- Neck swivels 270 degrees: three-toed sloth
- Group minimizes wind resistance: pelicans
- Multitasking on the move: pseudoscorpions
- Conserving energy: moths
- Mouthpart functions change: butterfly
- Tusks conserve materials: walrus
- Environment tailors growth: organisms
- Optimizing exposure to sunlight: stony corals
- Moving efficiently through water: aquatic animals
- Wings combine support and material economy: winged insects
- Flexural, torsional stiffness with minimal material use: organisms
- Structures minimize materials, maximize strength: organisms
- Providing shelter for multiple organisms: English oak
- Appendages used for movement and filtering: Daphnia
- Small structures burrow efficiently: earthworms
- Joints have two degrees of bending freedom: arthropods
- Wingtip feathers increase aerodynamic efficiency: flying birds
- Sand pit captures prey: ant lion larvae
- Specialized teeth wear down but remain effective: grazing animals
- Shell protects, supports, and allows for growth: shelled mollusks
- Skeleton components arranged efficiently: starfish
- Structures optimize material use: plants
- Conserving energy in times of scarcity: basking shark
- Eyes specialized for different types of vision: starlings
- Increase biofuel yields: microorganism metabolic engineering
- Modify chemical/electrical state (14)
- Chemical potential (0)
- Chemically generate flow of electrons (redox) (2)
- Concentration (0)
- Conductivity (2)
- Electric charge (0)
- Electron transport (0)
- Energy state (0)
- Free radical reactivity (0)
- Oxidation state (3)
- pH (1)
- Reactivity with water (0)
- Solubility (0)
- Surface tension (6)
- Modify physical state (191)
- Buoyancy (16)
- Spring directs spore dispersal in high humidity: horsetail
- Floats keep fronds buoyant: bull kelp
- Gas-holding structure aids buoyancy: cuttlefish
- Skin acts as membrane: sea snake
- Swim bladder helps maintain buoyancy: ray-finned fish
- Gas-storage chamber controls buoyancy: nautilus
- Wing overcomes resistance: Pallas's long-tongued bat
- Group minimizes wind resistance: pelicans
- Eggs are buoyant: oviparous fish
- Seeds float to the best conditions: red mangrove
- Shell alters buoyancy: green turtle
- Swimbladder retains gases: ray-finned fish
- Wingtip feathers increase aerodynamic efficiency: flying birds
- Tail prevents sinking: sturgeons
- Flotation in turbulent waters: Heteropterid bugs
- Bubble raft used to float on water: violet snail
- Density (0)
- Light/color (32)
- Wing scales diffract and scatter light: Morpho butterflies
- Eyes are anti-reflective: elephant hawk-moth
- Platelets reflect light: bobtail squid
- Pigment granules assist hiding: ray-finned fish
- Pigments cells respond to hormones: African clawed frog
- Lipochromes create red feathers: scarlet macaw
- Carotenoids create yellow color: American goldfinch
- Stripes serve as long-distance camouflage: lionfish
- Complex structures focus reflected light: lobster
- Layers create multihued appearance: beetle
- Pigments provide vivid colors: turaco
- Crystals create iridescent sheen: rainbow trout
- Wing scales aid thermoregulation: green birdwing butterfly
- Microscopic plates produce interference colors: copepods
- Wings have bright colors: African swallowtail butterfly
- Eyes diffract light: moth
- Light attracts fish: skimmer birds
- Eye structure enhances night vision: vertebrates
- Lack of wing scales enhances camouflage: clearwing butterfies
- Transparent patches of mantle focus light: giant clam
- Wrinkly surface provides desert camouflage: Tamaulipas living rock cactus
- Scales create brilliant white: Cyphochilus beetles
- Pigment granules create colors: damselflies
- Body surfaces reflect light to create colors: jewel beetles
- Hairs create colors: weevils
- Luciferin molecules create bioluminescence: Pyrophorus beetle
- Beaks reflect UV light: emperor penguin
- Humidity changes exoskeleton color: Hercules beetle
- Rapid color change used for protection: cuttlefish
- Eyes sensitive to circular polarized light: mantis shrimp
- Material characteristics (23)
- Liquid crystal forms byssal threads: Mediterranean mussel
- Shearing forces increase molecular alignment: silkworms
- Special liquid softens hard cocoon: puss moth
- Waxy coat controls moisture loss: cockroach
- Matrix stiffens connective tissue: sponges
- Maggot skin strengthens as it dries: blowfly
- Mucus takes on adhesive qualities: dusky arion slug
- Organic composite is exceptionally robust: jumbo squid
- Teeth are self-sharpening: American beaver
- Wings allow for silent flight: owls
- Paper produced for nest-building: hornets
- Lack of wing scales enhances camouflage: clearwing butterfies
- Digestive solution removes excess algae: giant clam
- Secretions break down algal walls: stony corals
- Silk used for various functions: spiders
- Crystals of metal salts improve cutting ability: herbivorous insects
- Mineral crystals enhance cutting ability: limpet
- Mineral crystals enhance rasping power: chitons
- Larvae produce foam: meadow spittlebug
- Tongue protected from thorns: giraffe
- Fatty acids prevent freezing: cotton plants
- Number of (2)
- Phase (3)
- Position (45)
- Wood reacts to bending: poplar
- Feet good for climbing: squirrel
- Cactus hides from the sun: mescal cactus
- Multiple joints allow circular movement: crustaceans
- Vibration moves wings: flies
- Flexible stalk adjusts to flow forces: Styela sea squirt
- Hydration used to move hairs: mosquitoes
- Eyes give 360Ëš vision: chameleon
- Muscles flex: humans
- Neck swivels 270 degrees: three-toed sloth
- Highly effective swimming: fish
- Mouthparts manipulate food: insects
- Fangs fold for storage: western diamondback rattlesnake
- Eyes allow periscopic vision: ghost crabs
- Many legs provide thrust for burrowing: millipede
- Seeds float to the best conditions: red mangrove
- Camouflage reduces herbivory: pebble plants
- Modified leaves assist climb: passion flower
- Double-layered ball assists spore dispersal: earthstar fungus
- Swimming efficiently: sharks
- Tube feet assist locomotion, feeding: lined sea star
- Joints have two degrees of bending freedom: arthropods
- Shooting snout snags prey: sling-jaw wrasse
- Stalk structure improves feeding position: sea anemone
- Leaves resist gravitational loading: broad-leaved trees
- Ligament used to reopen shells: bivalve mollusks
- Fur and feathers get grip on ice: seals and penguins
- Tail prevents sinking: sturgeons
- Egg shape prevents falls: guillemots
- Head kept motionless in flight: kestrel
- Appendage causes high jumps: springtails
- Navigation organs help maneuver: flies
- Wings work in unison: insects
- Low-energy perching: mousebird
- Hovering in mid air: hummingbirds
- Achieving precise alignment: sea slug
- Orienting using Earth's magnetic field: Aquaspirillum bacteria
- Abrupt flight patterns help evade predators: moths
- Hinged casing closes for protection: ciliate
- Folding doors provide access to food: caddis fly larvae
- Skin protected when burrowing: platypus
- Hairs change position quickly: sundew
- Flower structures protect pollen: angiosperms
- Pressure (5)
- Size/shape/mass/volume (57)
- Leaves fold in response to touch: sensitive plant
- Folding allows compact shape: hornbeam
- Bulging proboscis amplifies sound: southern elephant seal
- Ion release causes contraction: protozoan Vorticella convallaria
- Structural composition provides strength in changing conditions: plants
- Folds allow efficient leaf deployment: plants
- Abdomens store nectar: honeypot ants
- Cone scales are humidity-sensitive: pine
- Rolling into a ball for protection: armadillo
- Rolling into a ball for protection: pill millipede
- Erythrocytes swell without rupturing: dromedary camel
- Deployable web distracts predators: blanket octopus
- Teeth are self-sharpening: American beaver
- Inflating for protection: porcupinefish
- Pouch stores seed: Clark's nutcracker
- Uterus expands/contracts: mammals
- Muscles flex: humans
- Mouthpart functions change: butterfly
- Skin aids movement: worms
- Tongue folds neatly into mouth: chameleon
- Blood vessels regulate temperature: vertebrates
- Gular pouch used to attract mate: frigatebird
- Environment tailors growth: organisms
- Camouflage reduces herbivory: pebble plants
- Double-layered ball assists spore dispersal: earthstar fungus
- Jaws cut leaves precisely: leaf cutting ants
- Leaf serves as container: red oak roller weevil
- Swimming efficiently: sharks
- Hydroskeleton changes shape: ribbon worms
- Shooting snout snags prey: sling-jaw wrasse
- Jaws swallow eggs whole: egg-eating snakes
- Jaw swallows large prey: pythons
- Body changes shape: sea anemone
- Supportive gel enables extreme shape change: sea anemone
- Specialized teeth wear down but remain effective: grazing animals
- Ligament used to reopen shells: bivalve mollusks
- Shell protects, supports, and allows for growth: shelled mollusks
- Muscular system enables jet propulsion: cuttlefish
- Muscular system enables jet propulsion: octopus
- Wing scales help camouflage from sonar: moth
- Folding doors provide access to food: caddis fly larvae
- Larvae produce foam: meadow spittlebug
- Wings are deployable: beetles
- Foam builds shelter, provides water: Japanese flying frog
- Fins provide streamlined shape: tuna
- Shell changes shape: pancake tortoise
- Long proboscis stored when not in use: hawk moth
- Burrowing without legs: caecilians
- Biopolymer stops shell growth: oyster
- Mutant gene flattens leaves: snapdragon
- Membranes get fatter when stretched: cells
- Leaves have elasticity, shape memory: resurrection fern
- Flower structures protect pollen: angiosperms
- Speed (8)
- Retractable claws have many functions: African lion
- Wing structure allows rapid acceleration: dragonfly
- Multiple legs allow sudden stops: insects
- Tails aid fast swimming: swordfish
- Feet used to slow landings: true frogs
- Head kept motionless in flight: kestrel
- Flexible spine increases speed: cheetah
- Body designed for fast, efficient swimming: shortfin mako shark
- Move or stay put (31)
- Attach (96)
- Permanently (38)
- Sticky proteins serve as glue: blue mussel
- Anchor has flexibility: bull kelp
- Adhesive works under water: an aquatic bacterium
- Adhesive glues prey: velvet worms
- Saliva used as glue: swifts
- Glue protects from insect bites: burrowing frog
- Multiple component glue aids underwater adhesion: barnacle
- Attachments cling to intestinal wall: pork tapeworm
- Squeezing larvae provides glue: weaver ants
- Adhesion occurs in varying conditions: keyhole limpet
- Detachable bristles immobilize ants: Polyxenid millipede
- Eggs adhere in seawater: cuttlefish
- Tendons and bones form seamless attachment: Chordates
- Sticky berries adhere: European mistletoe
- Pigments provide strength: fungi
- Parasite attaches underwater: copepod
- Hooks attach in water currents: caddisfly
- Hooks aid underwater attachment: blackfly
- Mucus glues sand and rock: marine worms
- Suckers used to attach to roots: Maltese fungus
- Glue sticks underwater: giant water bug
- Joint shaped as suction cup prevents peeling: bull kelp
- Leaves glued together: grass trees
- Modified leaves assist climb: passion flower
- Tendrils stick to various surfaces: Virginia creeper
- Tendrils enable upward climb: rattan palm
- Tube feet attach in marine environment: echinoderms
- Stem used for climbing: honeysuckle
- Stems climb vertical surfaces: English ivy
- Stem sends out climbing gear: cheese plant
- Feet grip waxy leaves: leaf beetle
- Eggs attached securely to hairs: body lice
- Wings work in unison: insects
- Design features aid efficient attachment: lice
- Sucker-like structure used to attach: remora
- Durable casing built with sand: protozoans
- Orchids capture pollen: bucket orchids
- Sticky proteins serve as glue: green mussel
- Temporarily (58)
- Sticky proteins serve as glue: blue mussel
- Adhering to multiple substrates: blackberry
- Sticky proteins serve as glue: mammals
- Eggs glued to leaves: coddling moth
- Capillary action aids adhesion: European blowfly
- Hooked beak snags flowers: flowerpiercer
- Pollen fastens to a bee's head: orchids
- Feather parts reattach: birds
- Sucker-mouths help tadpoles stick: torrent-stream frog
- Suckers allow fine attachment: octopus
- White blood cells adhere closely: mammals
- White blood cells roll and stick: mammals
- Threads adhere underwater: sea cucumber
- Foot adaptations climb rough and smooth surfaces: insects
- Adhesion occurs in varying conditions: keyhole limpet
- Special tongue captures soft prey: long-beaked echidna
- Spinal column has strength and flexibility: armored shrew
- Proboscis forms a flexible, sealed cylinder: butterfly
- Poisonous tooth shoots into prey: cone shell
- Suction used to attach to prey: lamprey
- Hooks attach in water currents: caddisfly
- Claws hold on at high current velocities: riffle beetle
- Hooks aid underwater attachment: blackfly
- Sticky berries adhere: Australian mistletoe
- Feet adhere temporarily: aphids
- Eggs adhere in and out of water: midwife toad
- Tentacles adhere underwater: octopus
- Mucus takes on adhesive qualities: dusky arion slug
- Feet stay put: perching birds
- Running up and down trees: treecreepers
- Mouthparts manipulate food: insects
- Beak holds fish: puffin
- Employing frictional devices: tenebrionid beetles
- Footpads stick to vertical surfaces: great green bushcricket
- Resisting shearing forces: limpets
- Setae enhance temporary adhesion: leaf beetles
- Disklike structures adhere to smooth surfaces: Spix's disk-winged bat
- Modified leaves assist climb: passion flower
- Tendrils stick to various surfaces: Virginia creeper
- Running on waxy leaves: Arboreal ants
- Tube feet attach in marine environment: echinoderms
- Leaves modified for climbing: glory lilies
- Stem used for climbing: honeysuckle
- Stems climb vertical surfaces: English ivy
- Stem sends out climbing gear: cheese plant
- Feet grip waxy leaves: leaf beetle
- Wings work in unison: insects
- Design features aid efficient attachment: lice
- Sucker-like structure used to attach: remora
- Low-energy perching: mousebird
- Orchids capture pollen: bucket orchids
- Feet maintain traction: mountain goat
- Seeds are dispersed long distances: South African grapple plant
- Sticky proteins serve as glue: green mussel
- Feet prevent slipping: insects
- Foot adhesion prevents capture: palm leaf beetle
- Move (160)
- In gases (40)
- "V" formation saves energy: Pacific golden plover
- Change increases aerodynamic performance: common swift
- Wings allow movement in viscous solutions: fairy fly
- Maneuverability results from structure: dragonfly
- Joint enables rapid wing flapping: insects
- Vortex provides lift: parasitic wasp
- Structures facilitate pollen dispersal: pine trees
- Multiple joints allow circular movement: crustaceans
- Wings provide lift for gliding: flying squirrel
- Seedpod autorotates: sycamore
- Wings enable glide: flying dragon
- Underwater roots get oxygen: giant water-lily
- Gliding to safety: oriental cockroach
- Legs power high jumps: spittle bug
- Low-energy air transport: flying squirrels
- Body parts used to glide and steer: ants
- Wings generate lift: honeybee
- Wing overcomes resistance: Pallas's long-tongued bat
- Group minimizes wind resistance: pelicans
- Wings allow for silent flight: owls
- Feet used to slow landings: true frogs
- Multitasking on the move: pseudoscorpions
- Bill reduces drag: black skimmer
- Wing scales provide lift: butterflies
- Skin aids gliding: gliding possums
- Catapulting transports worms: nematode
- Wingtip feathers increase aerodynamic efficiency: flying birds
- Appendage causes high jumps: springtails
- Hairs aid aerodynamics: wasp
- Carrying heavy loads in flight: Eastern red bat
- Hovering in mid air: hummingbirds
- Abrupt flight patterns help evade predators: moths
- Seeds dispersed over long distances: Anisoptera tree
- Single-winged seeds travel far: sycamore
- Seeds disperse long distances: liana
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Seed glides to earth: Alsomitra vine
- In/on liquids (60)
- Energy boost from vortices: bull trout
- Flippers provide lift, reduce drag: humpback whale
- Efficient propulsion system: bluefin tuna
- Shape-shifting aids swimming: bacteria
- Slime reduces drag: fish
- Multiple joints allow circular movement: crustaceans
- Moving in tune with body size: penicillate jellyfish
- White blood cells roll and stick: mammals
- Corkscrew swimming is efficient: spiroplasma bacteria
- Jet propulsion as transportation mechanism: salp
- Spinning makes safe dive: cape gannet
- Reducing surface tension to travel on water: rove beetle
- Blubber structure stores and releases energy: porpoise
- Wings allow movement in viscous solutions: fairy fly
- Snout reduces turbulence: dolphin
- Body shape reduces friction: dolphin
- Mucus reduces turbulence: barracuda
- Ear flaps keep water out: otters
- Guard hairs form waterproof barrier: seals
- Shield and spoilers decrease lift in water: mayfly
- Microscopic oars move organism: protozoan
- Undulations used for swimming: Spanish dancer
- Clapping used for underwater movement: rough fileclam
- Pulsing used for underwater movement: jellyfish
- Siphon directs underwater movement: octopus
- Gas-storage chamber controls buoyancy: nautilus
- Combustion chamber discharges efficiently: bombardier beetle
- Powerful tail used for swimming: humpback whale
- Adapting swimming technique: lamprey
- Swimming forward and backward: knife fish
- Skin helps save swimming energy: fish
- Tails aid fast swimming: swordfish
- Highly effective swimming: fish
- Feet paddle efficiently: platypus
- Feet used for powerful swimming: true frogs
- Feet reduce drag, provide power: duck
- Water aids pollination: eelgrass
- Moving efficiently through water: aquatic animals
- Feet move efficiently through water: grebes
- Flagella aid locomotion: bacteria
- Appendages used for movement and filtering: Daphnia
- Body moves smoothly through water: African freshwater electric eel
- Lunging after prey: dragonfly larvae
- Swimming efficiently: sharks
- Tube feet assist locomotion, feeding: lined sea star
- Hydroskeleton changes shape: ribbon worms
- Shell alters buoyancy: green turtle
- Legs 'row' across water: fishing spider
- Tail prevents sinking: sturgeons
- Energy-efficient long distance swimming: eel
- Fur decreases water turbulence: seals
- Muscular system enables jet propulsion: cuttlefish
- Muscular system enables jet propulsion: octopus
- Bubble raft used to float on water: violet snail
- Fins provide streamlined shape: tuna
- Body designed for fast, efficient swimming: shortfin mako shark
- Leading edge of seed creates vortex lift: maple
- Skin reduces drag: shark
- In/on solids (60)
- Shells grind through rock: piddock
- Retractable claws have many functions: African lion
- Feet good for climbing: squirrel
- Foot adaptations climb rough and smooth surfaces: insects
- Adhering to multiple substrates: blackberry
- Large volumes move through small spaces: common earthworm
- Concertina movement navigates tunnels: snakes
- Mouthparts pierces through hippo hides: African biting flies
- Body designed for burrowing: nematode
- Tissue slices go undetected: vampire bat
- Rolling locomotion used for hilly terrain: Mount Lyell salamander
- Threads transfer movement to capsule: jumping bean moth caterpillar
- Toxins protect from predators: jellyfish
- Mucus aids movement: slugs
- Multiple legs allow sudden stops: insects
- Rolling locomotion aids escape: mother-of-pearl moth caterpillar
- Skin exhibits low friction: sandfish skink
- Needle-like structure inserts painlessly: mosquito
- Ovipositor drills holes: locust
- Muscles flex: humans
- Paws have non-slip grip: polar bears
- Running up and down trees: treecreepers
- Limbs dig efficiently: echigo mole
- Paws excavate burrows: pocket gopher
- Feet aid silent movement: African lion
- Chewing through wood: harlequin beetle
- Skin aids movement: worms
- Mouth cuts through chitin: velvet mite
- Many legs provide thrust for burrowing: millipede
- Moving efficiently across sand: sidewinder
- Efficient movement across land: snakes
- Bristles facilitate movement: earthworms
- Slime enables movement: bacteria
- Hairlike extensions responsible for movement: bacteria
- Communal 'slime-ways' used to glide: marine slime mold
- Catapulting transports worms: nematode
- Modified leaves assist climb: passion flower
- Tendrils enable upward climb: rattan palm
- Running on waxy leaves: Arboreal ants
- Stem used for climbing: honeysuckle
- Stems climb vertical surfaces: English ivy
- Stem sends out climbing gear: cheese plant
- Tube feet assist locomotion, feeding: lined sea star
- Small structures burrow efficiently: earthworms
- Joints have two degrees of bending freedom: arthropods
- Fur and feathers get grip on ice: seals and penguins
- Hairy footpads aid walking on loose sand: Fennec Fox
- Snout works as drill: acorn weevil
- Jaws excavate sand: ant lion larvae
- Ovipositor drills through wood: parasitic wasps
- Flexible spine increases speed: cheetah
- Feet maintain traction: mountain goat
- Burrowing without legs: caecilians
- Head bores through wood: shipworm
- Seeds drilled into soil: wheat
- Tendons store energy: tammar wallaby
- Process information (265)
- Compute (0)
- Encode/decode (0)
- Learn (0)
- Navigate (25)
- Over land (5)
- Through air (10)
- Echolocation used in cave navigation: oilbirds
- Olfaction assists navigation: white-chinned petrel
- Body parts used to glide and steer: ants
- Eyes see in various wavelengths: birds
- Nose structure aids echolocation: false vampire bats
- Navigation organs help maneuver: flies
- Eyes 'see' magnetic fields: garden warbler
- Navigating without landmarks: rock pigeon
- Body detects magnetic fields: honeybee
- Eyes help navigate using the sun: bees
- Through solids (0)
- Through water (10)
- Electric organs have many purposes: Amazon electric eel
- Electric organs used in navigation: knifefish
- Lateral line system acts as sonar: fish
- Swimming forward and backward: knife fish
- Eyes see in various wavelengths: birds
- Highly effective swimming: fish
- Chin used to hunt: elephantnose fish
- Senses help navigate during migration: European eel
- Navigation underwater: whales
- Organs aid navigation: dolphin
- Process signals (11)
- Differentiate signal from noise (5)
- Respond to signals (3)
- Transduce/convert signals (3)
- Send signals (68)
- Chemical (odor, taste, etc.) (20)
- Odor attracts seed dispersers: Durio tree
- Olfactory system is discriminating: mammals
- Odor attracts specific insects: titan arum
- Leaves transmit long-distance signals: Arabidopsis
- Signal directs sperm: fern
- Temporary chemical signals guide others: solitary bees
- Scent trails lead to food: European moths
- Hormone mimic protects from caterpillars: bugleweed
- Chemical repels insects: catnip
- Compounds protect against predators: milkweed
- Pheromone sends long-range signal: lamprey
- Burning stimulates flowering: grass trees
- Marking unrewarding routes: pharaoh ant
- Plants enhance health: golden bee
- Cyanogenic poison protects from herbivores: acacia
- Leaves disorient beetles, prevent attack: cucumber
- Leaves communicate pest damage: plants
- Defense mechanism deters predators: wood snakes
- Leaves signal presence of predators: acacia
- Electrical/magnetic (1)
- Light - non-visible spectrum (7)
- Light - visible spectrum (20)
- Enzyme produces red bioluminescence: railroad worm
- Lipochromes create red feathers: scarlet macaw
- Carotenoids create yellow color: American goldfinch
- Microscopic plates produce interference colors: copepods
- Eyes give 360Ëš vision: chameleon
- Eyes see details: hawks
- Eyes see near and far: hawks
- Wings have bright colors: African swallowtail butterfly
- Light attracts fish: skimmer birds
- Gular pouch used to attract mate: frigatebird
- Lure attracts prey: anglerfish
- Wrinkly surface provides desert camouflage: Tamaulipas living rock cactus
- Scales create brilliant white: Cyphochilus beetles
- Pigment granules create colors: damselflies
- Body surfaces reflect light to create colors: jewel beetles
- Hairs create colors: weevils
- Luciferin molecules create bioluminescence: Pyrophorus beetle
- Defense mechanism deters predators: wood snakes
- Rapid color change used for protection: cuttlefish
- Moving cilia create iridescence: comb jellies
- Sound (14)
- Bulging proboscis amplifies sound: southern elephant seal
- Nose amplifies threatening call: proboscis monkey
- Wings allow for silent flight: owls
- Chirps carry through water: dolphins
- Feet aid silent movement: African lion
- Nose structure aids echolocation: false vampire bats
- Communicating over long distances: cassowaries
- Pocket-like structures produce hissing sounds: king cobra
- Amplifying sound: bull snake
- Wing scales help camouflage from sonar: moth
- Burrow amplifies sound: mole cricket
- Long-distance communication protects from predators: Okapis
- Organs aid navigation: dolphin
- Mating call is amplified: Bornean tree-hole frog
- Tactile (1)
- Vibratory (5)
- Sense signals/environmental cues (161)
- Atmospheric conditions (9)
- Spring directs spore dispersal in low humidity: horsetail
- Hairs sense environmental cues: insects
- Blind cave-dwellers have super senses: Alabama cavefish
- Capsules launch seeds: Namaqualand mesems
- Senses help avoid storms: swifts
- Mating flights associated with thunderstorms: moths
- Sensitivity encourages return to hive before storm: bees
- Middle ear senses barometric pressure: Eastern pipistrelle bat
- Herd finds fresh food: wildebeests
- Balance/gravity/orientation (3)
- Body awareness (1)
- Chemicals (odor, taste, etc.) (38)
- Mosquitoes detect carbon dioxide: malarial mosquitoes
- Scent trails lead to food: European moths
- More successful pollination: orchids
- Bacteria sense and move toward chemicals: Escherichia coli
- Organs detect scent: reptiles
- Fish body is a swimming tongue: channel catfish
- Feet taste food: blowfly
- Feet sensitive to sweetness: butterfly
- Olfactory sense pinpoints spawning river: Atlantic salmon
- Membranes distinguish sweet from sour: colon bacilli
- Tusks sense chemicals: Narwhal
- Signal directs sperm: fern
- Pigments cells respond to hormones: African clawed frog
- Taste neurons detect CO2: fruit fly
- Mucus helps humans smell: human
- Fan-like antennae aid sensing: cockchafer beetle
- Blind cave-dwellers have super senses: Alabama cavefish
- Olfactory mucosa enhances odor-sensing abilities: human
- Olfaction assists navigation: white-chinned petrel
- Receptors detect ruminant hosts: hard ticks
- Olfactory system detects decomposition: house fly
- Tentacles detect predators: queen scallop
- Antennae enhance odor detection: giant silkworm moths
- Antennae detect odors: dampwood termite
- Sensitivity to sweetness aids in food selection: honeybee
- Fins taste by touch: gurnards
- Nostrils detect minute quantities of blood: great white shark
- Sensitive antennae detect sex pheromones: Indian luna moth
- Antennae used to detect pheromones, find mates: moths
- Antennae detect individual orchid species: iridescent bees
- Underwater sensors detect odors: spiny lobster
- Stigmas ensure pollination: angiosperms
- Leaves signal presence of predators: acacia
- Mammalian olfactory system uses spatiotemporal response behavior in detecting odors.
- Cytoplasm seeks efficient routes: slime mold
- Disease (2)
- Electricity/magnetism (15)
- Organs detect electrical currents: great white shark
- Electrosensitivity used to navigate: rattlesnake
- Sensory mucous glands detect prey: platypus
- Electricity helps communications: mormyrid electric eels
- Chin used to hunt: elephantnose fish
- Senses help avoid storms: swifts
- Mating flights associated with thunderstorms: moths
- Sensitivity encourages return to hive before storm: bees
- Navigation underwater: whales
- Eyes 'see' magnetic fields: garden warbler
- Fish respond to magnetic fields: rainbow trout
- Achieving precise alignment: sea slug
- Navigating without landmarks: rock pigeon
- Body detects magnetic fields: honeybee
- Orienting using Earth's magnetic field: Aquaspirillum bacteria
- Light - non-visible spectrum (7)
- Light - visible spectrum (21)
- Eyes see above and below water surface: four-eyed fish
- Special eyes increase photosensitivity: spookfish
- Extra eyes direct light: spookfish
- Eyes detect polarized light: flesh fly
- Eyes improve foraging abilities: aye-aye
- Eyes perceive UV polarized light: Tunisian desert ant
- Hairs sense environmental cues: insects
- Angle compensates for light refraction: black stork
- Eyes allow clear vision in both air and water: whirligig beetle
- Eyes detect changing movement patterns: queen scallop
- Multiple eyes provide excellent vision: jumping spider
- Focusing mechanism enhances vision: Tokay gecko
- Eyes see in the dark: oilbird
- Eyes see color with precision: mantis shrimp
- Eyes allow periscopic vision: ghost crabs
- Eye structure enhances night vision: vertebrates
- Eyes manage glare: kingfishers
- Hunting in the dark: piranha
- Eyes judge distance without head movement: chameleon
- Eyes specialized for different types of vision: starlings
- Flowers follow sun: snow buttercups
- Motion (11)
- Hairs detect changes in water current: shrimp
- Organs sense environmental cues: insects
- Eyes detect changing movement patterns: queen scallop
- Nose structure aids echolocation: false vampire bats
- Detecting presence and movement of predators: nocturnal moth
- Detecting flickering movements: bees
- Legs detect airborne vibrations: spiders
- Eyes see 300 images per second: dragonfly
- Eyes specialized for different types of vision: starlings
- Whiskers sense prey movement: harbor seals
- Pain (0)
- Shape and pattern (5)
- Sound and other vibrations (25)
- Stretch receptors aid sound detection: silicon cricket
- Eardrums provide directional hearing: a parasitic fly
- Receptors detect minuscule vibrations: alligator
- Leg senses sound strength and direction: grasshopper
- Lungs help detect sound: fire-bellied toad
- Organs sense environmental cues: insects
- Hairs sense environmental cues: insects
- Ears map sounds: long-eared owl
- Antennae sense frequency of wingbeats: mosquito
- Fan-like antennae aid sensing: cockchafer beetle
- Blind cave-dwellers have super senses: Alabama cavefish
- Nose structure aids echolocation: false vampire bats
- Feathers aid prey detection: saw-whet owl
- Cochlea aids hearing: humans
- Communicating over long distances: cassowaries
- Detecting vibrations: earthworm
- Detecting larvae through wood: parasitic wasps
- Detecting presence and movement of predators: nocturnal moth
- Legs detect small vibrations for communication: water strider
- Legs detect airborne vibrations: spiders
- Fins use to communicate: fish
- Long-distance communication protects from predators: Okapis
- Organs aid navigation: dolphin
- Antenna provides selective hearing: fruit fly
- Temperature (9)
- Hairs sense environmental cues: insects
- Blind cave-dwellers have super senses: Alabama cavefish
- Fire opens seed capsules: banksia
- Nose structure senses temperature: vampire bat
- Blood vessels regulate temperature: vertebrates
- Antennae sense heat of prey: Rhodnius bug
- Lips detect prey: boas
- Snake senses heat: pit viper
- Snakes have bifocal thermal vision: pit viper
- Time and day length (4)
- Touch and mechanical forces (11)
- Sensilla detect strain and load changes: insects
- Plant growth responds to touch: wall cress
- Hairs sense environmental cues: insects
- Cuticle hole detects strain and load changes: insects
- Sensitivity captures insects: Venus flytrap
- Adapting swimming technique: lamprey
- Fingertips sensitive to fine textures: humans
- Snout detects pressure: star-nosed mole
- Bill skin detects touch: platypus
- Congregating and physical stimulation trigger swarming: desert locusts
- Pollen release triggered by bird landing: mistletoe
Function Groups: 8
/ Sub-groups: 30
/ Functions: 162
