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Assignment 1.1
date. 2/24/2021
Decentralized
A system of interconnected sub entities that each plays an essential role in the makeup of the body's entirety. Information, energy, and air derive from individual parts instead of a central power souce and connects with other parts of the system through sharing, exchanging, and mutual influence.
Bamboo Root System
Bamboo doesn't grow like trees or flowers. It grows to a certain degree and stop growing when it reaches its final height in 2-4 months.
Bamboo does not experience secondary growth and therefore does not have extended branches from its culm above ground
Rhizomes: A type of stem that grows up roots from its stems. Common in plants like ginger, asparagus or sympodial orchids.
Similar to the nodes of the bamboo body, there is a culm like root structure underground, which are called Rhizomes. The rhizomes develop in the soil to give rise to more roots and more rhizomes from its internodes.
Rhizomes store nutrients for the bamboo. It uses energy from existing plant to produce more plants and expand the root structure. New shoots emerge to turn into a cane and replicate the propagation process.
Clumping Bamboo
Axillary buds are grown from the rhizomes and develop directly into shoots. Then the next year, the axillary bud grows from the new stem and develop into new shoots and etc.. It cannot extend for a long distance.
Running Bamboo
Have thin Rhizomes that extend horizontally underground for long distances. Roots propagate at the the nodes of the rhizomes. Some of the buds develop into new rhizome systems. It grows in scattered state and spreads over a large area.
Unlike trees from which all extended segments are dependent upon the main trunk and draws nutrients from one major source, bamboo grows from each other yet retains both interconnectedness and autonomy from each other in structure, nutrient extraction, and growth pattern.
Sea Star Locomotion
Sea star's water vascular system enable them through the process of feeding, locomotion, and respiration.
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Interesting Fact: Star fish does not have a brain and does not function under a global sensory motor. Its locomotion is completely dependent on the interaction between the environment and individual body parts.
Animal behaviors are usually described by two models of movement: insect flight is enabled through sensory feedback being communicated through a central processing system, or a completely decentralized individual response to sensory information such as fish or ant colony.
None of which completely describes sea star. Information needs to be communicated mechanically between the feet as they sense its own state and respond accordingly.
Synchronization, Autonomy
Any one foot can act autonomously when reacting to stimuli.
When all the feet are synchronized, they can product a bouncing motion. A "dominant arm" determines the direction while integrating localized responses from other feet.
How does sea star move mechanically?
Vascular system within sea star plays a major role in its ability to move. The water first moves from the environment into the Madreporite which is then channeled by the stone canal to the ring canal. The ring canal then distributes the water to the radial canals . Apullaes are connected to the radial canal; it's a muscular sack that contract as water move through and translates the increased pressure into elongation of the feet and making the the organized stepping movement possible.
Structurally sea star's feet are all attached to a single entity, yet its motion is self coordinated through various sensory inputs of the feet's interaction with the stimuli. This decentralized method of sensory data collection allows more complex forms of body coordination on different surfaces and allows complete autonomy among the body parts.
References
Locomotion in Star Fish | Invertebrates (notesonzoology.com)
https://neurosciencenews.com/sea-star-locomotion-robotics-15524/
https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/tentacles-think?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4
https://www.bamboobotanicals.ca/html/about-bamboo/bamboo-growth-habits.html
https://www.guaduabamboo.com/blog/types-of-bamboo-rhizomes
https://lewisbamboo.com/how-bamboo-grows/
https://studiousguy.com/bamboo-root-system/
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