News in Brief Plants

Liverwort reproductive organ inspires pipette design

The tool relies on water’s surface tension to hold a droplet

umbrella liverwort

NATURE’S DESIGN  The female reproductive structures of the umbrella liverwort, shown here, capture sperm-filled water droplets under their fronds.  

Katja Schulz/flickr.com (CC BY 2.0)

By Laurel Hamers

- More than 2 years ago

The sex organs of primitive plants are inspiring precise pipettes.

Liverworts are a group of ground-hugging plants with male and female reproductive structures shaped like tiny palm trees.