We have been away from the knowledge of bionic plants and their importance in our real life in these days. But it is the time to know them to protect our environment and our existence in this present global world. The modern research proves that the use of nanotechnology in living plants could yield bionic plants with enhanced energy production and the ability to detect pollutants and other environmental toxins.
We depend on living plants for food, oxygen production, fuel,etc. But they can soon be used as real-time environmental monitors.
The interesting thing is that, researchers were able to boost energy production in plants by 30% or capable of detecting pollutants acting as environmental sensors, when nanotubes are embedded in chloroplast of plants. Research found that photosynthetic potential of plant chloroplasts can be enhanced in solar cell technology.
What are Nanotubes?
Nanotubes are actually one among the allotropes of carbon and belong to the fullerene structural family. Their length is 132000000 times their diameter. They are cylindrical in shape. They have remarkable properties which are really useful in the field of nanotechnology. They have splendid thermal conductivity, empowered with electrical and mechanical properties. Now let us see how these nanotubes affect the process of photosynthesis.
Normally, plants use 10% of the sunlight. But chloroplast embedded with carbon nanotubes could act as 'artificial antennae' and could split wavelengths of sunlight included UV rays.
An experiment was done on the plant called Arabidopsis Thaliana. When the solution of nanoparticles was applied under the leaves of it, it resulted in the boost of the process of photosynthesis by 30%.
Since carbon nanotubes could detect nitric oxide, these plants could be used as chemical sensors. This holds good in detecting specific molecules at a very low concentration even in small quantities.
There is research going on these exciting nanotechnology in plants. The increased electron flow in photosynthetic process can affect sugar production in plants.
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Technology, nanotubes, nanotechnology, photosynthesis, chloroplast, bionic plants, nanotubes, role of nanotubes in technology, nanoparticles, how to bionic plants synthesis food.
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