According to a new study, human sperm and unicellular algae have an amazing way to move through viscous liquids, disrupting, seemingly established laws of physics. The study was published in PrX Life .
The research conducted by Kent Ishimoto, a mathematician from Kyoto University, in cooperation with his colleagues, reveals a curtain of a secret that was hiding behind the movement of sperm. It turns out that their movement is contrary to the third law of Newton's movement.
Newton's third law, known as the principle of action and counteraction, argues that each action must correspond to the equal and opposite opposition. In simple terms, this means that if an object acts on another object with force, then the second object reacts with exactly the same force in the opposite direction.
However, when studying microscopic organisms, such as sperm and unicellular algae, it turned out that this law was not applicable. These microorganisms move inside viscous liquids, without losing a lot of energy, which seemingly should occur in accordance with Newton's third law.
Scientists analyzed the movement of sperm and microscopic algae and found that their movement violates established physical laws. Instead of responding to the environment and losing energy, as expected by Newton's third law, these microorganisms use the strange elasticity of their tails and flagella to move forward. This allows them to move through viscous liquids with minimal energy loss.
To explain this asymmetric interaction, scientists have introduced a new term - "odd module of elasticity". This term describes the internal mechanics of sperm tails and microscopic algae flagella.
The study is also practical. The results obtained can help in the development of micro -work that can simulate the movement of these microorganisms. In addition, the methods of modeling this asymmetric movement can be used to a better understanding of the principles of collective behavior in the microcosm.
