“Climbing wall, that’s it’s skill
Fell on your food, may make you ill!
In a rush or danger it breaks in half you see!
You will stare at its tail and it will run away in glee!”
In the last spiderman movie; one of the Peter Parker aka Spiderman hangs from the ceiling but Zendaya is not impressed!
It was such a funny scene! But maybe she knew Spiders cannot hang like that without the web!
It is actually another animal which can literally climb upside down and hang like that with only its amazing legs!
read on!
So spiders can climb really well over walls and of course they can use their webs to ‘fly’ or ‘move’ or ‘hang’ but without the webs they can climb vertical walls since they have the hairy legs with a good hold!
The actual animal though which can even climb walls and hang from the ceilings are the Geckos with their amazing suction cup feets!
Of course we normally have a fear of the creepy lizards in our house! In the old days it was also told that lizards are poisonous! We have had old movies showing many ‘old aunts’ poisoning the new daughter in law with the milk with the fallen lizard!
Now the milk may be spoilt or unhygienic but it was surely not poisonous! You may end up with a stomach ache and may be some burps but you will live!
We were also told by our parents to not to kill these lizards since apparently and actually they control the insect population in the area. Especially the pesky ones like cockroaches and mosquitoes.
Also when you think of something and they make affirmative noise then what you want would be successful was the belief!
It is the same with the spiders but the are more messy and some are poisonous! Also a cobweb means that the house is not clean!
A lizard in the house is still allowed within the definition of ‘clean’ house!
What used to amaze me was the way these super animal use to simply climb walls and even hang upside down! The best example of mighty climbers are Geckos!
What differentiates geckos from the group of lizards is that they lay eggs in pairs instead of large clutches, and they have the ability to vocalize with chirps and barking noises. Most geckos also lack eyelids and have sticky toes that enable them to climb walls!
These remarkable reptiles owe their impressive climbing skills to their sticky feet!
The feat is a complex mixture of and interplay of physics chemistry and biology!
The gecko’s ability to stick to surfaces results from an intricate interplay of biology, physics, and chemistry. A gecko’s foot is covered with millions of tiny hair-like structures known as setae, each branching out into hundreds of even smaller structures at the tip called spatulae. These spatulae are so tiny that they interact with the molecules of the surface the gecko is climbing – a phenomenon known as van der Waals forces!
Van der Waals forces are the weak electrostatic forces that exist between molecules. They arise from fluctuations in electron distribution within a molecule, creating tiny positive and negative charges. When the gecko’s spatulae come into close contact with a surface, these weak charges cause a significant adhesive force. Incredibly, this mechanism allows geckos to stick to almost any type of surface, irrespective of whether it’s wet, dry, smooth, or rough!
While the ability to stick is crucial, the capacity to unstick is equally important. After all, being perpetually stuck to a surface wouldn’t be beneficial for a quick-moving gecko. Here’s where the unique design of the setae and spatulae comes into play.
When a gecko wants to move its foot, it peels it away from the surface, rather like removing tape. This peeling action starts from the back of the foot and moves forward, progressively decreasing the amount of contact between the spatulae and the surface. This peeling motion effectively reduces the impact of the van der Waals forces, allowing the foot to detach easily and quickly without any sticky residue!
The gecko’s ability to stick and unstick to surfaces has not only been a boon for the creature itself but has also inspired several technological advancements. Scientists, fascinated by these reptiles, have been trying to mimic their unique ability, giving rise to the field of gecko-inspired technology, or ‘gecko technology’!
One such innovation is the development of dry adhesives that can stick to surfaces in the same way gecko feet do. These adhesives are clean, residue-free, and can be reused, unlike many traditional adhesives. They hold promise for use in a myriad of applications, from medical bandages and athletic gear to industrial tapes and electronics assembly!
Moreover, robots equipped with ‘gecko feet’ are also being developed, with potential applications in space travel. These robots could assist in the repair and maintenance of spacecraft, adhering to the exterior without the need for cumbersome and potentially damaging mechanical gripping devices!
The biggest thing here is the fact that not only they stick well, they also let go soon enough! That is the best way to climb! Both physically and metaphorically! And listen to your mother when she says that lizards are good omen! Mother reminds me of Birthday celebrity Sukumari Amma!
Now look under the bed for any Geckos and sleep!
Shubh ratri!
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