A study by researchers at The University of Manchester, carried out alongside the Universities of Melbourne and Copenhagen, could hold the key to understanding the causes of long-term health problems, such as infertility and ovarian cancer.
The study, published in Physics Review X Life, used a combination of high-resolution imaging, flow measurements, and mathematical modelling to examine fluid flows around corals that are driven by cilia - densely packed tiny hairs on the coral's surface. The collective beating of the cilia contributes to the movement of fluid around the surface of the coral, regulating the animal's immediate environment through the transport of particles such as oxygen.
The researchers found that heterogeneity in ciliary orientation-small variations in the direction individual cilia beat-can significantly boost transport efficiency. For substances that diffuse slowly through the fluid, this natural variability increased particle transport by more than 50% compared to perfectly aligned cilia. This contrasts with other biological systems, highlighting how coral cilia are uniquely adapted to their environment.
However, the study also found that strong external flows, such as ocean currents, can reduce the coral's ability to exchange materials efficiently near the surface.
Researchers believe that the mathematical modelling used in understanding the behaviour and effectiveness of these coral-based cilia structures could be applied to ciliated tissues in humans, such as those found in the respiratory system and fallopian tubes.
Dr Draga Pihler-Puzovic, Reader at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at The University of Manchester, said of the study, "This work provides a powerful framework for understanding how coral surfaces operate across a wide range of environmental conditions. It also opens the possibility of applying the same mathematical models to human biology, offering new ways to investigate how cilia function in the body and how their dysfunction may contribute to disease."
This paper was published in the journal: PRX Life
DOI: 10.1103/fhfw-f1nv
