Biomimicry and Medicine

October 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 This volume in the Nature-Inspired Innovations series (6 titles) sets readers up for success with a Before & After Reading Activities section. Comprehension questions and activities will help students focus on complicated engineering subjects as they learn how scientists take inspiration from creatures in nature to make advancements in the medical field. Examples of such biomimicry can be very small: scientists replicate a process they learned from microscopic tardigrades to protect vaccines. Larger instances include surgical glue inspired by a marine worm, and a medical needle similar to porcupine quills; the design of prosthetic limbs has also been influenced by animal adaptations. Despite an occasional factual error (a pit viper is referred to as poisonous; it's actually venomous), this is a well-structured, well-laid-out guide to a hard-to-grasp subject.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)