Exploding fruit mechanism
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I'm designing an alien tree species that produces small purple fruits at the edge of its braches. Now a few seconds after one of these fruits falls from the tree it makes a small explosion so that its seeds can grow into new trees in a different location. My quiestion is, how could such a mechanism of explosion work for a fruit, and how could something like that evolve in the first place
evolution flora plant-design
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I'm designing an alien tree species that produces small purple fruits at the edge of its braches. Now a few seconds after one of these fruits falls from the tree it makes a small explosion so that its seeds can grow into new trees in a different location. My quiestion is, how could such a mechanism of explosion work for a fruit, and how could something like that evolve in the first place
evolution flora plant-design
2
Real biology example: Dictamnus. Also, see video of the plant in action
â Pavel Janicek
1 hour ago
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up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I'm designing an alien tree species that produces small purple fruits at the edge of its braches. Now a few seconds after one of these fruits falls from the tree it makes a small explosion so that its seeds can grow into new trees in a different location. My quiestion is, how could such a mechanism of explosion work for a fruit, and how could something like that evolve in the first place
evolution flora plant-design
I'm designing an alien tree species that produces small purple fruits at the edge of its braches. Now a few seconds after one of these fruits falls from the tree it makes a small explosion so that its seeds can grow into new trees in a different location. My quiestion is, how could such a mechanism of explosion work for a fruit, and how could something like that evolve in the first place
evolution flora plant-design
evolution flora plant-design
asked 1 hour ago
John Michailidis
543138
543138
2
Real biology example: Dictamnus. Also, see video of the plant in action
â Pavel Janicek
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
2
Real biology example: Dictamnus. Also, see video of the plant in action
â Pavel Janicek
1 hour ago
2
2
Real biology example: Dictamnus. Also, see video of the plant in action
â Pavel Janicek
1 hour ago
Real biology example: Dictamnus. Also, see video of the plant in action
â Pavel Janicek
1 hour ago
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
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You're lucky, this is a case of "nature already did it". A combination of melting resin, high internal pressure and physical tension works for various existing plants such as the squirting cucumber, touch-me-nots, persian silk trees, yellow woodsorrel and violets.
You can watch slow-mo videos of them on youtube, decide on which method you prefer and then just copy it.
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Water pressure and weak skin: the plant "pumps" water into the fruit as it ripens, while thinning the skin. When the ripe berries (a type of fruit which just happens to be small) falls to the hard ground, the skin bursts, and the seeds -- which by definition of being a berry -- get pushed away.
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You have two really good, informative examples (one as an answer, one in the comments) of real-world scenarios. So here is a really wild, out-there but plausible answer.
The fruit has formed a really good symbiotic relationship with a particular strain of bacteria. The plant provides these bacteria (located in the fruit pod) with nutrients, and the bacteria produces methane gas as a byproduct.
The fruit pod outer membrane is made of a tough, elastic protein (similar to intestines) that constrains this methane under pressure.
When the seed pod (fruit) falls, the nutrients to the bacteria are cut off, and this signals the bacteria to start consuming the enveloping membrane of the pod. This forms a hole, and the external membrane collapses like a balloon. The guts of the pod are expelled.
Even better
The exposure of the bacteria to air causes them to create high voltage sparks, that ignite the methane, creating an even larger explosion, that propels the seeds far and wide, along with the bacteria. Thus, the seeds and the symbiotic bacteria are equally dispersed.
Very recently, it has been discovered that, indeed, certain human gut bacteria do produce electricity in sufficient quantities to be usable for this purpose.
The Bacteria in Your Gut Produce Electricity
The physics textbook, along with the Chemistry and Biology textbooks, are recently getting very thick indeed. Knowing this makes sci-fi writing all that much easier, without calling on magic.,
add a comment |Â
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
5
down vote
You're lucky, this is a case of "nature already did it". A combination of melting resin, high internal pressure and physical tension works for various existing plants such as the squirting cucumber, touch-me-nots, persian silk trees, yellow woodsorrel and violets.
You can watch slow-mo videos of them on youtube, decide on which method you prefer and then just copy it.
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
You're lucky, this is a case of "nature already did it". A combination of melting resin, high internal pressure and physical tension works for various existing plants such as the squirting cucumber, touch-me-nots, persian silk trees, yellow woodsorrel and violets.
You can watch slow-mo videos of them on youtube, decide on which method you prefer and then just copy it.
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
up vote
5
down vote
You're lucky, this is a case of "nature already did it". A combination of melting resin, high internal pressure and physical tension works for various existing plants such as the squirting cucumber, touch-me-nots, persian silk trees, yellow woodsorrel and violets.
You can watch slow-mo videos of them on youtube, decide on which method you prefer and then just copy it.
You're lucky, this is a case of "nature already did it". A combination of melting resin, high internal pressure and physical tension works for various existing plants such as the squirting cucumber, touch-me-nots, persian silk trees, yellow woodsorrel and violets.
You can watch slow-mo videos of them on youtube, decide on which method you prefer and then just copy it.
answered 1 hour ago
0xFF
1,202149
1,202149
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
Water pressure and weak skin: the plant "pumps" water into the fruit as it ripens, while thinning the skin. When the ripe berries (a type of fruit which just happens to be small) falls to the hard ground, the skin bursts, and the seeds -- which by definition of being a berry -- get pushed away.
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
Water pressure and weak skin: the plant "pumps" water into the fruit as it ripens, while thinning the skin. When the ripe berries (a type of fruit which just happens to be small) falls to the hard ground, the skin bursts, and the seeds -- which by definition of being a berry -- get pushed away.
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
Water pressure and weak skin: the plant "pumps" water into the fruit as it ripens, while thinning the skin. When the ripe berries (a type of fruit which just happens to be small) falls to the hard ground, the skin bursts, and the seeds -- which by definition of being a berry -- get pushed away.
Water pressure and weak skin: the plant "pumps" water into the fruit as it ripens, while thinning the skin. When the ripe berries (a type of fruit which just happens to be small) falls to the hard ground, the skin bursts, and the seeds -- which by definition of being a berry -- get pushed away.
answered 1 hour ago
RonJohn
12.8k12661
12.8k12661
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
You have two really good, informative examples (one as an answer, one in the comments) of real-world scenarios. So here is a really wild, out-there but plausible answer.
The fruit has formed a really good symbiotic relationship with a particular strain of bacteria. The plant provides these bacteria (located in the fruit pod) with nutrients, and the bacteria produces methane gas as a byproduct.
The fruit pod outer membrane is made of a tough, elastic protein (similar to intestines) that constrains this methane under pressure.
When the seed pod (fruit) falls, the nutrients to the bacteria are cut off, and this signals the bacteria to start consuming the enveloping membrane of the pod. This forms a hole, and the external membrane collapses like a balloon. The guts of the pod are expelled.
Even better
The exposure of the bacteria to air causes them to create high voltage sparks, that ignite the methane, creating an even larger explosion, that propels the seeds far and wide, along with the bacteria. Thus, the seeds and the symbiotic bacteria are equally dispersed.
Very recently, it has been discovered that, indeed, certain human gut bacteria do produce electricity in sufficient quantities to be usable for this purpose.
The Bacteria in Your Gut Produce Electricity
The physics textbook, along with the Chemistry and Biology textbooks, are recently getting very thick indeed. Knowing this makes sci-fi writing all that much easier, without calling on magic.,
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
You have two really good, informative examples (one as an answer, one in the comments) of real-world scenarios. So here is a really wild, out-there but plausible answer.
The fruit has formed a really good symbiotic relationship with a particular strain of bacteria. The plant provides these bacteria (located in the fruit pod) with nutrients, and the bacteria produces methane gas as a byproduct.
The fruit pod outer membrane is made of a tough, elastic protein (similar to intestines) that constrains this methane under pressure.
When the seed pod (fruit) falls, the nutrients to the bacteria are cut off, and this signals the bacteria to start consuming the enveloping membrane of the pod. This forms a hole, and the external membrane collapses like a balloon. The guts of the pod are expelled.
Even better
The exposure of the bacteria to air causes them to create high voltage sparks, that ignite the methane, creating an even larger explosion, that propels the seeds far and wide, along with the bacteria. Thus, the seeds and the symbiotic bacteria are equally dispersed.
Very recently, it has been discovered that, indeed, certain human gut bacteria do produce electricity in sufficient quantities to be usable for this purpose.
The Bacteria in Your Gut Produce Electricity
The physics textbook, along with the Chemistry and Biology textbooks, are recently getting very thick indeed. Knowing this makes sci-fi writing all that much easier, without calling on magic.,
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
You have two really good, informative examples (one as an answer, one in the comments) of real-world scenarios. So here is a really wild, out-there but plausible answer.
The fruit has formed a really good symbiotic relationship with a particular strain of bacteria. The plant provides these bacteria (located in the fruit pod) with nutrients, and the bacteria produces methane gas as a byproduct.
The fruit pod outer membrane is made of a tough, elastic protein (similar to intestines) that constrains this methane under pressure.
When the seed pod (fruit) falls, the nutrients to the bacteria are cut off, and this signals the bacteria to start consuming the enveloping membrane of the pod. This forms a hole, and the external membrane collapses like a balloon. The guts of the pod are expelled.
Even better
The exposure of the bacteria to air causes them to create high voltage sparks, that ignite the methane, creating an even larger explosion, that propels the seeds far and wide, along with the bacteria. Thus, the seeds and the symbiotic bacteria are equally dispersed.
Very recently, it has been discovered that, indeed, certain human gut bacteria do produce electricity in sufficient quantities to be usable for this purpose.
The Bacteria in Your Gut Produce Electricity
The physics textbook, along with the Chemistry and Biology textbooks, are recently getting very thick indeed. Knowing this makes sci-fi writing all that much easier, without calling on magic.,
You have two really good, informative examples (one as an answer, one in the comments) of real-world scenarios. So here is a really wild, out-there but plausible answer.
The fruit has formed a really good symbiotic relationship with a particular strain of bacteria. The plant provides these bacteria (located in the fruit pod) with nutrients, and the bacteria produces methane gas as a byproduct.
The fruit pod outer membrane is made of a tough, elastic protein (similar to intestines) that constrains this methane under pressure.
When the seed pod (fruit) falls, the nutrients to the bacteria are cut off, and this signals the bacteria to start consuming the enveloping membrane of the pod. This forms a hole, and the external membrane collapses like a balloon. The guts of the pod are expelled.
Even better
The exposure of the bacteria to air causes them to create high voltage sparks, that ignite the methane, creating an even larger explosion, that propels the seeds far and wide, along with the bacteria. Thus, the seeds and the symbiotic bacteria are equally dispersed.
Very recently, it has been discovered that, indeed, certain human gut bacteria do produce electricity in sufficient quantities to be usable for this purpose.
The Bacteria in Your Gut Produce Electricity
The physics textbook, along with the Chemistry and Biology textbooks, are recently getting very thick indeed. Knowing this makes sci-fi writing all that much easier, without calling on magic.,
answered 1 min ago
Justin Thyme
7,0091938
7,0091938
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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2
Real biology example: Dictamnus. Also, see video of the plant in action
â Pavel Janicek
1 hour ago