Database of biological effects. A TRIZ project

Abridged version.

A "biological effect" in TRIZ is the use of biological objects (meaning any living creature) in human activities.

Humans have used plants, animals and bacteria since ancient times.

But recently their use has become substantially different, thanks to development of biotechnology, biometallurgy, bioelectronics, bionics and many other sciences studying biological objects and their new uses.

A database of biological effects can help a biology teacher to teach in an entertaining and problem-oriented manner. The subject of biology will become so much more interesting, both during school hours and during extracurricular activities.

The facts of unusual application of biological objects in casual, criminological, engineering and invention practice will allow a teacher to use them to solve other, not just biological creative problems. Let's look at an example of such solution.

At a gold mine there was an evidence of large-scale gold theft. The courier transporting the precious metal was arrested.

Several bags, empty and carefully washed were confiscated from him.

The investigator suspected that these bags were used for gold transportation.

But how to prove or disprove that? What to do?

Somebody recalled about experiments that were done by biologist N. N. Kolcov, where a smallest amount of gold in the water, that was undetectable by detectors, caused frogs to have a quite noticeable expansion of blood vessels.

Three jars where filled with distilled water.

In one of the jars they put pouches, presumably used for carrying gold.

In second jar they put a few grains of gold from the same gold mine.

In the third jar there was no gold, it was for verification purposes.

In each jar they put a frog.

After few minutes in the first two jars the frog's bellies reddened - because of the expansion of blood vessels. The blood vessels became quite noticeable through skin.

In the control jar nothing happened.

That's how the traces of gold were made obvious.

The main idea of Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ): any systems arise and develop by certain laws.

These laws are identified and used to solve inventive problems. One of the methods of solving problems is to apply various effects (physical, chemical, biological, etc.).

That's where come in handy database of biological effects, which can help you find and apply one or more effects to address the open inventive problems, will help you find several solutions, not just single "correct".

Many examples could be reformulated into tasks.

Problem: A vast area is crossed by a seemingly endless pipeline carrying natural gas.

A microscopic crack can appear anywhere letting the gas to escape.

How to control the integrity of the pipe many kilometers long?

That's how it's done in the Czech Republic: the pipeline is seeded over with alfalfa, which changes its height and color at the slightest impact of the gas.

Control of changes is done from helicopter.

Isn't it a beautiful solution? By the way, it's not unique, as you can see by reading the manual.

You can continue to search for new examples together with students to increase volume of the database.

Wouldn't it be interesting for students to search for applications of these and other biological effects along with you?

There are many wonderful opportunities inherent in the world of the living.

Spiders help criminologists, surgeons use ants, plants themselves switch on watering installations...

All this can be found in the database of biological effects.

Biological effects in the database are divided into several sections in accordance with the purposes of use. In particular, these:

• Detection of substance and energy

• Removal of substance and energy absorption

• The accumulation of substance

• Transformation of substance and energy

• Allocation of substance and generation of energy

Application of biological objects is not limited to functions specified in this version of database.

Biological objects can carry out transport operations, mix and neutralize substances that are used in construction work, etc.

Discovery of substance and energy

1.1. In Czechoslovakia, alfalfa is planted near the pipeline.

Under the influence of even the slightest amount of gas alfalfa changes its height and color.

The helicopter makes images of crops and so determine where is the leak. (8, p.147).

1.2. U.S. workers of gas pipelines use smell of Turkey Vultures to detect gas leaks from pipes.

A chemical with rotten meat smell is added to the natural gas for this purpose.

Vultures, being scavengers, are beginning to circle above the location of the leak.

It's easy for lineman to see large birds (wingspan of up to two meters) and to find the appropriate place (16, 1989; № 9, p.87).

1.3. The flies, feeling a poisonous gas in the mine, begin to get nervous.

Canaries are dying, breathing in even a small amount of gas, and mice, smelling gas, begin to toss in a cage.

Such an animals' susceptibility to the gas is long since used by miners. (10, s.158).

1.4. An insignificantly small admixture of gold in the water, inaccessible to modern high-sensitivity sensors... , causes well seen dilation of blood vessels in the abdomen of regular frogs. (26, 1992, № 12, p.31).

1.5. It is noticed that web pattern depends on the food of the spider. Most minor admixtures of poisons change the pattern of weaving.

Criminologists became interested in such powers of spiders.

If the cause of human death is difficult to determine, a drop of blood of the deceased person is given to a spider and the web pattern of this spider is examined afterward.

Specific photo albums of web patterns were composed, with various poisons affected the web patterns (10, s.176; 3).

1.6. Young conifers such as pine and spruce, reveal traces of more than thirty different metals, including gold.

Chemical analysis of their needles can easily suggest possible underground deposits of minerals (13, 1989, № 1 p.44).

1.7. From chemical composition of birch sap one can determine the field of deposits rich in fluorine-containing compounds.

Birches in places such deposits yield juice with increasing concentration of fluoride.

Similarly, defined deposits of manganese, zinc, potassium (14, 1990, № 6, p.11).

1.8. At low concentrations of selenium, vanadium, zirconium and other metals, small ciliates tetrahimeny reduce the speed of its movement from 2700 microns per second at 96%, while large concentrations of toxic metals stops the movement of ciliates (26, s.158).

1.9. Pollen brought by the bees is collected and analysed for the exploration of radioactive ores (16, 1985, № 5).

1.10. Termites lie for rest so that their heads are in the same direction.

Some groups - in parallel, others - perpendicular to magnetic field lines of Earth.

Similarly behave may beetles and flies (10, p.55).

1.11. Larvae of flies move in the direction of lines of force of the induced electric field. It is used for removing them from the edible products (AS number 1340698).

1.12. Meter radio waves cause arousal in monkeys.

They turn their heads towards the source and start to worry (26, p.71).

1.13. The leaves of some plants continue to monitor the Sun even in the dark (8, p.45; 26, p.62).

1.14. AL Chizhevsky in his studies used a colony of bacteria that change their color depending on the change of electromagnetic solar activity (10, s.154-157).

1.15. Chemiluminescence is used as a highly sensitive indicator of minimal amounts of chemicals in the human body.

With the help of luminescent bacteria, taken from a special type of fish, was made the instrument measuring the alcohol in drivers (1, p.81).

Substances removal and energy absorption.

2.1. Flocks of sheep are allowed by farmers on the coffee plantations.

Animals eat the weeds, but other than that - leaves on coffee trees to a certain height.

Thus harvesting become much easier. (9, p.70).

Ducks are called masters of ...

Ducks are released in rice fields.

They eat grasshoppers, larvae of pests and weeds without touching the rice.

In addition, the birds act as cultivators - loosened the soil, improving the flow of oxygen to the roots of grasses.

A turbidity water warmed by the sun better than pure. (12).

2.3. In a hospital in the U.S. in the treatment of infected wounds were used for fly larvae eating the dead tissues.

According to the attending physician, the healing effect of these insects were found in the First World War, however, prejudice prevailed. (14, 1990, № 6, p.19).

2.4. In some U.S. states to clear the water from algae, and especially from gidrilly applied herbivorous carp.

Fish clean ponds so effectively, that you can not use chemicals. (21, p.41).

2.5. Found a strain of microbes eat up the paint with empty aluminum cans of beer and soft drinks.

It takes just half an hour, after which the pure aluminum can be sent to the smelter.

The use of bacteria would replace existing technology, in which the paint is removed combustion (with burns of 15% of the metal and air) or washed with organic solvents, which may cause fire and damage health. (16, 1992, № 1, p.68).

2.6. A new method, thanks to which the content of mercury in the wastewater can be reduced from two thousand to three parts per billion.

Bacteria are covered magnetically active metal ions, which are present in the water in the form of salts.

Then the tiny magnets are removed by magnetic filters in the form of wire mesh with the smallest cells.

Then wash off the bacteria collected in the right place.

Bacteria are able to take a quantity equal to its own weight.

Since the bacteria are coated with magnetically active metal ions are controlled by a magnetic field, it is likely that they can be used to obtain magnetic fluids. (14, 1989, № 11, p.37).

2.7. Living in a well-landscaped streets with dense rows of trees feel the street noise is ten times weaker than the exact same street, with the same traffic, but without the green. (20, 1992, № 5, p.59).

2.8. Bushes and trees are a powerful shield, which hinders the penetration elektronavodok. (10, s.137).

The accumulation of substances