Shooting Mechanisms in Nature: A Systematic Review
Fig 6
Cavitation catapult mechanism in Curvularia.
(A) Conidiophore in Curvularia with a cluster of boat-shaped conidia (spores) at its apex. (B) Outward movement of the conidia caused by drying. (C) When a critical negative pressure (relative to ambient) is reached, the sudden appearance of a gas bubble in the conidia releases the stored elastic energy and causes a rapid return movement of the conidia to their original shape, which disrupts the connection with the conidiophore and launches the conidia. Drawings based on schematic drawings in [61]. Scale bar 30 μm.