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Bones maintain skeletal homeostasis by balancing the activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts.

Fibril bundles in perforated cylindrical hair of African crested rat wick liquid by capillary action.

Camel fur and sweat glands combine to form a powerful temperature management system.

Many mammals can suspend development of embryos to deliver at more favorable times. 

Common reeds and other wetland plants transport gases through a network of spaces between their cells.

When pelican wings glide close to water, they use “ground effect” to maximize lift, minimize drag, and conserve energy.

The Eurasian diving bell spider uses silk and goo to make an airy home for itself beneath the surface of a pond.

Some fish visualize near-infrared wavelengths of light by feeding the red-light-sensing cone cells in their eyes with vitamin A2.

Corals lay down proteins in an organized way to create a scaffold for minerals that produce rock-hard reefs

Aquaporin molecules form a channel that allows water to move across cell membranes.

Randomly arranged filaments scatter all wavelengths of light, and their optimized spacing maximizes the effect.

Nanopillar cones covering cicada wings bond with bacterial membranes, stretching the portion between the cones to the point of rupturing.

The desert locust becomes social and forms swarms through an increase in serotonin triggered by the presence of other locusts.

Light intensity concentrates hormones that alter the water levels in cells causing plants to bend toward the light source.

Long scales on the underhair of otters and fur seals trap air to retain heat and prevent water penetration.

Specialized proteins in gall fly larvae create channels that push freezing water out of their cells and let natural anti-freeze flow into them.

Spiders travel thousands of miles through the air using their silk to ride electrostatic repulsion instead of the wind.

Forest canopies create microclimates where tens of thousands of other plant species grow.

Shrimp’s attack club distributes impact among spiraled layers of fibers

The shape of the kingfisher beak allows it to dive into the water without splashing.

Outer membranes of Escherichia coli cells direct the cell toward food using "taste" receptor protein clusters that send signals to the motor proteins of the flagella.

Rims of the pitcher plant are extremely slippery due to a liquid film overlaying a microtextured surface.

The respiratory system of birds facilitates efficient exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen by using air sacs to maintain a continuous unidirectional airflow through the lungs.

Antarctic crustaceans create wax within their bodies to help them sink deep into the water to hibernate for winter.

Crabs use “synchronous vacancy chain” behavior to find new shells fast and avoid risky homelessness.

Roots of red mangrove forests protect coastal shorelines by absorbing energy from waves.

The soft, fluid-filled flexible body of the earthworm enables it to burrow through soil using its unique set of muscles and internal fluid to maintain shape.

Chamber-cored fibers capture sunlight, gather heat, and retain both to keep the polar bear warm.

The shell of the golden-scale snail protects from attack with a specialized tri-layered composition

Differences in position and shape of burrow openings of black-tailed prairie dogs create passive ventilation from wind energy by altering air pressure.

Rough leaves on mulberry plants prevent infection by confusing fungal spores after they germinate.

The shell of a sea urchin prevents breakage via interlocking plates and an oblate shape.

Parasitic wasps increase fig tree production by placing limits on the mutualism between figs and fig wasps.

One provides shelter, the other provides fertilizer, and both are better off for it.

The neuron lobula giant movement detector (LGMD) of the locust protects the locust from collison by filtering out excess stimuli.

Diverse plant species in prairie grasslands support a long-term, stable ecosystem because they exhibit complementary functionality.

Nepenthes pitcher plants and treeshrews maintain a mutually beneficial relationship by exchanging nutrients.

Bullhorn acacias provide nutrients and housing for ants in return for protection from herbivores thanks to a mutualistic relationship.

Guard cells use osmotic pressure to open and close stomata, allowing plants to regulate the amount of water and solutes within them. 

The skin of cuttlefish changes color rapidly by expanding or contracting elastic pigment sacs.

The neck attachment of a dragonfly's head protects it from mechanical stresses by arresting it using microstructures that create friction.

Young leaves of bamboo channel excess water using a combination of hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces.

The body of rainbow trout decreases energy required for swimming by interacting with vortices in its fluid environment.

Wetland plants, bacteria, and the physical environment work together to remove particles and pollutants  

Bacterial cells produce polyester granuals in water at ambient temperature and pressure via enzymatic self-assembly.

Wings of morpho butterflies create color by causing light waves to diffract and interfere.

The trunks of pine trees withstands wind and snow via spiral growth.

The leaves and root of the desert rhubarb maximize water collection by directing rainwater to the plant's base and absorbing water from saturated ground.

The waterbear survives extreme environmental conditions by entering a reversibly suspended metabolic state known as cryptobiosis.

The pomelo fruit has excellent damping properties due to the hierarchical organization of its composite peel

The seed heads of sunflowers optimize the packing of seeds by growing florets in a spiraling pattern connected to the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequence.

Paper wasps use an oral secretion combined with masticated plant matter to create waterproof paper nests.

Excrement from pine spittlebug nymphs repels predatory ants when the nymphs engulf themselves in a foam derived from their feces.

The cuticle on the surface of leaves create a smart barrier by having selective permeability to both hydrophobic and hydrophillic molecules.

The mouths of ticks absorb water vapor from the atmosphere by secreting a hydrophilic solution.

The leaves of acacia trees protect from being eaten by producing a cyanogenic poison.

Lysosomes in human cells recycle amino acid building blocks by capturing and breaking down malfunctioning proteins.

The surface of the desert scorpion resists erosion by sand due to bumps and grooves that decrease flow.

Leaves of tomatoes ward off parasitic caterpillars by secreting an enzyme that breaks down a key nutrient in the caterpillar larvae's gut.

Fruits of Ochradenus baccatus cause rodents to convert from seed predators to seed dispersers by releasing chemicals that cause the animal to spit the seed out.

Feathers of eastern bluebirds produce vivid non-iridescent colors using self-assembled, quasi-ordered nanostructures.

Cytoskeletons of an amoeba change properties quickly by varying cross-links of actin polymer filaments in response to changing environmental cues.

Estuarine ecosystems rely on diatoms because they act as ecosystem engineers by binding sand to stabilize the environment.

The growth of mineral crystals is controlled by peptides through a system of molecular "switches, throttles and brakes."

Extracellular proteins of some sulfate-reducing bacteria limit the dispersal of nanoparticles by aggregating them.

Transglutaminase enzymes couple or crosslink proteins in organisms by catalyzing transamidation of glutamine and lysine residues.

Odor-binding proteins on the antennae of dampwood termites mediate the transport of odoriferous chemicals to the olfactory nerves by encapsulating the hydrophobic scent chemicals in a water soluble coating.

The eye lens of the Antarctic toothfish avoids cold-cataracts at temperatures cold enough to freeze sea water by maintaining the right concentration of three isoforms of crytallin proteins.

A slight rise in humidity triggers pine cones to curl up their scales to prevent ineffective seed dispersal in wet weather.

Chaparonins in human cells rehabilitate misfolded proteins by capturing them in confined spaces causing them to unfold, giving them a second chance at refolding into their properly functioning, three-dimensional configuration.

Cells of the hybrid striped bass fight fungal infection with peptides that punch hydrophilic holes in the cell membranes of the infectious microorganism.