“Plants of all kinds are water-saturated solids.” This assertion by researchers from Columbia University, New York (USA), has sent shockwaves through the scientific community.
A new study from Columbia University has discovered an unprecedented phenomenon in science: water plays a central role in determining the characteristics of plants in nature, such as pine cones, mushrooms, and various types of vegetation and trees. From this, they argue that plants are a “water-saturated solid.”
For many years, scientists in the fields of physics and chemistry believed that the properties of solid materials are fundamentally determined by the atoms and molecules that compose them.
Spores expand vigorously when water is added and shrink when water is removed – (Photo: SCIENCE NEWS).
For example, the crystalline nature of salt is attributed to the bonding between sodium and chloride ions. Similarly, metals like iron or copper gain strength from metallic bonds between their respective atoms. This principle also applies to substances such as mushrooms, bacteria, and wood.
From the Strange Behaviors of Spores
These new findings emerged from a research team led by Professor Ozgur Sahin, from the Department of Biology and Physics at Columbia University.
The research team discovered the strange behavior of spores, a type of dormant bacterial cell found in various plants.
According to the science news outlet Scitech Daily, for many years, Professor Sahin and his students have been studying spores to understand why they expand vigorously when water is added and shrink when water is removed.
They have attracted media attention for exploring the potential to harness this ability to create tiny machines resembling engines powered by spores.
However, they still did not understand why spores behaved this way. After years of considering potential explanations, Professor Sahin realized that the mysteries the team continuously encountered could be explained: hydration forces govern how water moves within spores.
The results of these experiments led to a new study published in the journal Nature, June 2023: “Hydrated Solids”.
The Properties of Matter Depend on Hydration Forces
The team argues that the properties of many biological materials are actually created by water permeating through these materials. Water creates solids and continues to define the properties of those solids while retaining its liquid characteristics. This type of material is “water-saturated solid.”
When water is in liquid form, its molecules create a balance. But when the molecules that form biological material combine with water, the water molecules push the molecules of the biological material apart. This push is known as hydration force.
The argument of this new study reveals that hydration forces almost entirely determine the properties of biological materials, including their softness or hardness. This discovery has surprised the scientific community.
Professor Sahin uses a metaphor to describe the research: “When walking in the forest, we should really view those trees as water towers that hold nutrients and proteins in place. It truly is a world of water.”
