ELCIDATION OF MECHANISM OF ICE SEGREGATION BY Keisukea japonica Miq., Lamiaceae AIMING FOR BIOMIMETICS

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In order to clarify the mechanism of ice segregation phenomenon by Keisukea japonica Miq., Laminaceae, various laboratory experiments were conducted. As a result, it was verified that the nucleation temperature reaches to -2.1 to -2.5 deg C, pits having 1 micrometer in size are on the xylem surface through the electron microscopic analysis, and the water pathway in the xylem exists in the periphery of vessel to the xylem surface through three-dimensional fluorescent image analysis. Based on these findings, it can be explained that small pits play a role as a barrier to interrupt the ice intrusion into the xylem, so that soil water moves to the xylem surface through roots and xylem by the super cooling of growing surface of ice and freezes continuously as ice segregation phenomenon. These phenomena can be applied for a biomimetic micro water pump. The simple pump system driven by thermal condition will be a good tool for a component technology in the micro mechatronics.