An ancient sea worm has jaws made from a 'bio-metal'. The jaws, which combine proteins and metal ions, exhibit metal-like strength and unusual mechanical behavior, researchers say.
The sea worm is identified as a bristle worm. Its jaws incorporate metal ions to mimic synthetic alloys states.
mysterious
The 'bio-metal' is described as mysterious and never previously encountered by scientists.
The jaws differ from traditional metals, according to sources, and may belong to an entirely new class of material. Researchers believe these bio-metals could open new directions in materials science, and that the discovery reveals how sophisticated nature's designs can be.
