Learning Sustainability from Insects

― Wing Vein Network Structures Reduce Pressure-loss of Blood Flow ―

Abstract

Insects have demonstrated remarkable evolutionary sustainability, persisting for over 400 million years and diversifying into over a million species. We can learn their strategy to develop sustainable human society. Their evolutionary success is primarily attributed to flight facilitated by their wings. The wings’ functionality is maintained by blood transport through wing vein networks. However, from a fluid mechanical perspective, this network should face high frictional pressure loss because of inner vein diameter even smaller than human hair width. Reduction in pressure loss is necessary to reduce pump power requirement and energy consumption of the network system. The solutions insects employ to address this challenge offer practical insights for energy efficient technologies, such as microfluidics in chemical sensors and thermoregulators and supply systems of power or water. This paper describes the wing vein network structures in fruit flies that reduce pressure loss during blood transport, based on our previous findings.