Shooting Mechanisms in Nature: A Systematic Review
Fig 3
Fluid pressure catapult mechanism in the phylum Ascomycota (species Ascobolus immersus).
(A) Early stage of ascus development in Ascomycota. (B) Developed ascus containing the ascospores. (C) Osmotic water absorption increases turgor pressure and drives the expansion of the ascus. (D) When a critical pressure is reached (range: 0.30–1.54 MPa), the operculum breaks open, allowing contraction of the expanded wall, which drives the discharge of the ascospores together with the cell sap from the ascus. Drawings based on schematic drawings in [50]. Scale bar 0.2 mm (200 μm).