Fluid mechanics of Excretion
Orateur : Patricia Yang / Georgia Institue of Technology
Abstract : Mammals maintain the flow of nutrition by various forms of fluid such as urine, processed food, and feces. How do animals process and excrete the flow, from mice to elephants ? In this talk, I will present that urine is accelerated by gravity in the urethra, which serves as a siphon in the urinary system. Larger animals such as elephants urinate as fast as their smaller counterparts, such as cats. Regardless of body size, the acceleration of fluid is also found in the process of defecation. Feces slide along the large intestine by a layer of mucus. Larger animals have thicker mucus layers that facilitate defecation. Lastly, I will present the experiment on a wombat’s cubic feces. The corners are molded by non-uniform material properties in the intestinal wall. These studies shed light on non-invasive diagnoses of urinary and digestive diseases in humans and optimal transport strategies in soft tissue.
More information is in the BBC and PBS news
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-env...
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/artic...
Date et lieu : vendredi 11 octobre 2019 à 10h dans la salle de séminaire IRPHE