Transparent Carapace In Marine Organism
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Is it possible to genetically engineer transparent carapace to act as biological armor in marine organisms?
I know that deep sea animals may have transparent skin to hide themselves in the lightless depths, but I havent seen any examples (so far) of transparent carapace. If you can make skin and organs transparent, can you do it for bones too?
science-based biology
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up vote
6
down vote
favorite
Is it possible to genetically engineer transparent carapace to act as biological armor in marine organisms?
I know that deep sea animals may have transparent skin to hide themselves in the lightless depths, but I havent seen any examples (so far) of transparent carapace. If you can make skin and organs transparent, can you do it for bones too?
science-based biology
1
How transparent are you looking for? Are you looking for window-glass transparency with no distortion, or are you just looking to let light through
â Cort Ammon
6 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
up vote
6
down vote
favorite
Is it possible to genetically engineer transparent carapace to act as biological armor in marine organisms?
I know that deep sea animals may have transparent skin to hide themselves in the lightless depths, but I havent seen any examples (so far) of transparent carapace. If you can make skin and organs transparent, can you do it for bones too?
science-based biology
Is it possible to genetically engineer transparent carapace to act as biological armor in marine organisms?
I know that deep sea animals may have transparent skin to hide themselves in the lightless depths, but I havent seen any examples (so far) of transparent carapace. If you can make skin and organs transparent, can you do it for bones too?
science-based biology
science-based biology
asked 6 hours ago
JTriptych
359211
359211
1
How transparent are you looking for? Are you looking for window-glass transparency with no distortion, or are you just looking to let light through
â Cort Ammon
6 hours ago
add a comment |Â
1
How transparent are you looking for? Are you looking for window-glass transparency with no distortion, or are you just looking to let light through
â Cort Ammon
6 hours ago
1
1
How transparent are you looking for? Are you looking for window-glass transparency with no distortion, or are you just looking to let light through
â Cort Ammon
6 hours ago
How transparent are you looking for? Are you looking for window-glass transparency with no distortion, or are you just looking to let light through
â Cort Ammon
6 hours ago
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
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A carapace is typically chitin rather than bone. Some species of shrimp have completely transparent carapaces. hardness and transparency of the carapace are largely determined by the degree of mineralization. Ghost Shrimp have transparent carapaces, and the carapace of many crayfish is actually translucent.
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3
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Yes, absolutely!
Check out this little guy:
This is a copepod. They live basically everywhere and are one of the most numerous animal groups in aquatic communities.
They also belong to the subphylum Crustacea, the same group of animals as the more charismatic crabs and lobsters of which you're probably thinking. Their carapace is quite strong, but still translucent and almost glasslike in places.
Other examples:
The aptly named ghost shrimp
A common marine isopod
Even some lobsters can have translucent shells:
add a comment |Â
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0
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As pictures in @Dubukay's answer illustrate, it will be transparent enough to see internal organs. However, you cannot get complete invisibility, because there is a difference in the index of refraction between seawater and the animal's skin/shell.
Pure water has an index of refraction of 1.333. The refractive index of seawater varies with conditions, but is within the range of 1.329 and 1.368.
The carapace of arthropods/crustaceans is made of the protein chitin. The scales and skin of fish and marine mammals is made of the protein keratin. Both have refractive indices above 1.5:
Refractive index and dispersion of butterfly chitin and bird keratin measured by polarizing interference microscopy
Using Jamin-Lebedeff interference microscopy, we measured the wavelength dependence of the refractive index of butterfly wing scales and bird feathers. The refractive index values of the glass scales of the butterfly Graphium sarpedon are, at wavelengths 400, 500 and 600 nm, 1.572, 1.552 and 1.541, and those of the feather barbules of the white goose Anas anas domestica are 1.569, 1.556 and 1.548, respectively.
abstract on PubMed
The only way for one transparent material to completely "disappear" inside another is for the refractive indices to match. As you can see, this won't happen.
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3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
A carapace is typically chitin rather than bone. Some species of shrimp have completely transparent carapaces. hardness and transparency of the carapace are largely determined by the degree of mineralization. Ghost Shrimp have transparent carapaces, and the carapace of many crayfish is actually translucent.
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
A carapace is typically chitin rather than bone. Some species of shrimp have completely transparent carapaces. hardness and transparency of the carapace are largely determined by the degree of mineralization. Ghost Shrimp have transparent carapaces, and the carapace of many crayfish is actually translucent.
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
A carapace is typically chitin rather than bone. Some species of shrimp have completely transparent carapaces. hardness and transparency of the carapace are largely determined by the degree of mineralization. Ghost Shrimp have transparent carapaces, and the carapace of many crayfish is actually translucent.
A carapace is typically chitin rather than bone. Some species of shrimp have completely transparent carapaces. hardness and transparency of the carapace are largely determined by the degree of mineralization. Ghost Shrimp have transparent carapaces, and the carapace of many crayfish is actually translucent.
answered 6 hours ago
pojo-guy
6,03711120
6,03711120
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
Yes, absolutely!
Check out this little guy:
This is a copepod. They live basically everywhere and are one of the most numerous animal groups in aquatic communities.
They also belong to the subphylum Crustacea, the same group of animals as the more charismatic crabs and lobsters of which you're probably thinking. Their carapace is quite strong, but still translucent and almost glasslike in places.
Other examples:
The aptly named ghost shrimp
A common marine isopod
Even some lobsters can have translucent shells:
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
Yes, absolutely!
Check out this little guy:
This is a copepod. They live basically everywhere and are one of the most numerous animal groups in aquatic communities.
They also belong to the subphylum Crustacea, the same group of animals as the more charismatic crabs and lobsters of which you're probably thinking. Their carapace is quite strong, but still translucent and almost glasslike in places.
Other examples:
The aptly named ghost shrimp
A common marine isopod
Even some lobsters can have translucent shells:
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
Yes, absolutely!
Check out this little guy:
This is a copepod. They live basically everywhere and are one of the most numerous animal groups in aquatic communities.
They also belong to the subphylum Crustacea, the same group of animals as the more charismatic crabs and lobsters of which you're probably thinking. Their carapace is quite strong, but still translucent and almost glasslike in places.
Other examples:
The aptly named ghost shrimp
A common marine isopod
Even some lobsters can have translucent shells:
Yes, absolutely!
Check out this little guy:
This is a copepod. They live basically everywhere and are one of the most numerous animal groups in aquatic communities.
They also belong to the subphylum Crustacea, the same group of animals as the more charismatic crabs and lobsters of which you're probably thinking. Their carapace is quite strong, but still translucent and almost glasslike in places.
Other examples:
The aptly named ghost shrimp
A common marine isopod
Even some lobsters can have translucent shells:
answered 4 hours ago
Dubukay
7,85341852
7,85341852
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
As pictures in @Dubukay's answer illustrate, it will be transparent enough to see internal organs. However, you cannot get complete invisibility, because there is a difference in the index of refraction between seawater and the animal's skin/shell.
Pure water has an index of refraction of 1.333. The refractive index of seawater varies with conditions, but is within the range of 1.329 and 1.368.
The carapace of arthropods/crustaceans is made of the protein chitin. The scales and skin of fish and marine mammals is made of the protein keratin. Both have refractive indices above 1.5:
Refractive index and dispersion of butterfly chitin and bird keratin measured by polarizing interference microscopy
Using Jamin-Lebedeff interference microscopy, we measured the wavelength dependence of the refractive index of butterfly wing scales and bird feathers. The refractive index values of the glass scales of the butterfly Graphium sarpedon are, at wavelengths 400, 500 and 600 nm, 1.572, 1.552 and 1.541, and those of the feather barbules of the white goose Anas anas domestica are 1.569, 1.556 and 1.548, respectively.
abstract on PubMed
The only way for one transparent material to completely "disappear" inside another is for the refractive indices to match. As you can see, this won't happen.
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
As pictures in @Dubukay's answer illustrate, it will be transparent enough to see internal organs. However, you cannot get complete invisibility, because there is a difference in the index of refraction between seawater and the animal's skin/shell.
Pure water has an index of refraction of 1.333. The refractive index of seawater varies with conditions, but is within the range of 1.329 and 1.368.
The carapace of arthropods/crustaceans is made of the protein chitin. The scales and skin of fish and marine mammals is made of the protein keratin. Both have refractive indices above 1.5:
Refractive index and dispersion of butterfly chitin and bird keratin measured by polarizing interference microscopy
Using Jamin-Lebedeff interference microscopy, we measured the wavelength dependence of the refractive index of butterfly wing scales and bird feathers. The refractive index values of the glass scales of the butterfly Graphium sarpedon are, at wavelengths 400, 500 and 600 nm, 1.572, 1.552 and 1.541, and those of the feather barbules of the white goose Anas anas domestica are 1.569, 1.556 and 1.548, respectively.
abstract on PubMed
The only way for one transparent material to completely "disappear" inside another is for the refractive indices to match. As you can see, this won't happen.
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
As pictures in @Dubukay's answer illustrate, it will be transparent enough to see internal organs. However, you cannot get complete invisibility, because there is a difference in the index of refraction between seawater and the animal's skin/shell.
Pure water has an index of refraction of 1.333. The refractive index of seawater varies with conditions, but is within the range of 1.329 and 1.368.
The carapace of arthropods/crustaceans is made of the protein chitin. The scales and skin of fish and marine mammals is made of the protein keratin. Both have refractive indices above 1.5:
Refractive index and dispersion of butterfly chitin and bird keratin measured by polarizing interference microscopy
Using Jamin-Lebedeff interference microscopy, we measured the wavelength dependence of the refractive index of butterfly wing scales and bird feathers. The refractive index values of the glass scales of the butterfly Graphium sarpedon are, at wavelengths 400, 500 and 600 nm, 1.572, 1.552 and 1.541, and those of the feather barbules of the white goose Anas anas domestica are 1.569, 1.556 and 1.548, respectively.
abstract on PubMed
The only way for one transparent material to completely "disappear" inside another is for the refractive indices to match. As you can see, this won't happen.
As pictures in @Dubukay's answer illustrate, it will be transparent enough to see internal organs. However, you cannot get complete invisibility, because there is a difference in the index of refraction between seawater and the animal's skin/shell.
Pure water has an index of refraction of 1.333. The refractive index of seawater varies with conditions, but is within the range of 1.329 and 1.368.
The carapace of arthropods/crustaceans is made of the protein chitin. The scales and skin of fish and marine mammals is made of the protein keratin. Both have refractive indices above 1.5:
Refractive index and dispersion of butterfly chitin and bird keratin measured by polarizing interference microscopy
Using Jamin-Lebedeff interference microscopy, we measured the wavelength dependence of the refractive index of butterfly wing scales and bird feathers. The refractive index values of the glass scales of the butterfly Graphium sarpedon are, at wavelengths 400, 500 and 600 nm, 1.572, 1.552 and 1.541, and those of the feather barbules of the white goose Anas anas domestica are 1.569, 1.556 and 1.548, respectively.
abstract on PubMed
The only way for one transparent material to completely "disappear" inside another is for the refractive indices to match. As you can see, this won't happen.
answered 36 mins ago
Dr Sheldon
508116
508116
add a comment |Â
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1
How transparent are you looking for? Are you looking for window-glass transparency with no distortion, or are you just looking to let light through
â Cort Ammon
6 hours ago