The bee <i>Tetragonula</i> builds its comb like a crystal.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 32693749.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1098/rsif.2020.0187 and PMC identifier 7423432.
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Abstract
Stingless bees of the genus <i>Tetragonula</i> construct a brood comb with a spiral or a target pattern architecture in three dimensions. Crystals possess these same patterns on the molecular scale. Here, we show that the same excitable-medium dynamics governs both crystal nucleation and growth and comb construction in <i>Tetragonula</i>, so that a minimal coupled-map lattice model based on crystal growth explains how these bees produce the structures seen in their bee combs.
Medical subject headings
- Bees