Why a Mussel's Muscles Are So Strong (2 of 2) (IMAGE)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Why a Mussel's Muscles Are So Strong (2 of 2)

Caption

Mussels attach to hard surfaces on the rocky seashore with the byssus. Byssal threads are protected from abrasive damage by a hard and extensible knobby coating composed of proteins complexed with iron. This image relates to an article that appeared in the March 4, 2010, issue of Science Express, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. M.J. Harrington of the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany, and colleagues, was titled, "Iron-Clad Fibers: A Metal-Based Biological Strategy for Hard Flexible Coatings."

Credit

Image courtesy of Susan Weichold

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