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July 14, 2002
Israel Fried
BioColorPhysics- The Physical Meanings of Colors and Shapes in Biology.
Introduction
This short article is prepared for this INTERNET site. The article deals with a revolutionary new approach for comprehending
Nature. I call it "BioColorPhysics - The Physical Meanings of Colors and Shapes in Biology". I have started to develop
this interdisciplinary field in 1984, while I have noticed that the shapes of many flowers such as Iris, Anemone and others
resembles structures of wave-guides and antennas from the field of satellite communications, a subject that I was deeply involved
at those days. Since then I have made observational research on hundreds kinds of plants and animals, and I have found that
I can suggest physical explanations to their shapes and colors.
So far I have written several articles and documents regarding this interdisciplinary field, which connects between Physics
and between the colors and shapes in animals and plants. I have listed most of those articles in the chronological list,
at the page "Animal and Plant Physics" of this site. I will mention here some of those articles.
* "The Secret of the Flowers - The Flower as a Controlled System for Concentration of Color and Energy", March
1985, (manuscript in Hebrew).
* "The physics of Animals and Plants - Suggestion for a Primary Research", August 1991, (in Hebrew).
* "Theoretical Physical Model of the Living Cell in the Fauna or the Flora", June 1992, (in Hebrew).
* "The Physics of the Eye in the Peacocks Train", May 1995, (in English). (See the article in this site,
via the page "Animal and Plant Physics").
* "The Physical Secrete of the Colors in Flowers and Animals", (in Hebrew), (A book submitted to a publisher,
July 1998, yet in the process of securing financial support).
* "The Physics of the Chameleon Skin and its Colors", July 2001, (in Hebrew).
In those articles I have shown hundreds of examples to the basic philosophy behind the subject: the same color may hint
about the same additional of physical functions in animals and plants. I emphasize here the word "additional" since
what we see in animals and plants are usually the colors of the covering, such as skins, feathers, etc. Those coverings should
have specific physical functions. Some of these physical functions achieved by the shape of the covering. Some others are
achieved by the material structure of the covering. The rest of the physical functions may be achieved by additional of colored
materials (pigments). The colored powder on the wing of butterflies is a good example. Therefore, when I talk about the physical
functions hints by the colors, I am talking about additional of physical functions.
During the last years I have noticed several cases where the same physical explanations for colors in animals and plants
may be applied also for microbiological items. For instance, the blue color in the skin of a Chameleon might be connected
to the physical function "twisting" of the Guanine crystals, and the same physical function "twisting"
may be applied also in the Guanine base at the DNA.
Therefore, instead of talking about the colors and shapes of animals and plants only, as i was used to do so far, I think
it will be right to talk about the colors and shapes of any biological item. By the term "biological item" here
I mean animal, plant, microbe, virus, spore, living cell or any other thing that is not inanimate. The philosophy behind BioColorPhysics
is that one may find the same physical properties for each a specific color, no matter what biological item is regarded. So
far, I have found many examples showing that this idea might be true in animals and plants. In some cases I see that the
same correlation between physical properties and colors holds also in inanimate items. It would be very interesting to find
out in the future whether the same correlation holds also for the microorganisms. As a theoretical physicist I do not see
why such correlation would not hold. Although I am not a biologist, it seems reasonable to me that finding the physical properties
of individual microbes and viruses, using the principles of BioColorPhysics, may enable researchers in Biology and Medicine
to find better tools to handle them in order to prevent their harm and use their benefits.
In spite of the interesting task to look after the same physical properties of a specific color in all the biological
items, as well as in inanimate items, I will talk in the following mainly about macro-organisms, i.e. animals and plants that
I and the readers can see without a microscope. This may enable many people to follow and response to the physical explanations
given in those pages of BioColorPhysics.
I use to distinguish between the "Physical Approach" to the biological items, such as animals and plants, and
between what I call the "Social Approach". According to the "Physical Approach" one may explain every
shape and color of any biological item as due to physical reasons. The colors and shape of a specific part hints about the
physical properties of the materials and structures of which that part is build. Those physical-engineering needs are the
first important aims of any structure in Nature. On the other end, the biological item, and specifically an animal that has
ability to control its shapes and colors, may use this ability for "social" purposes, such as camouflage, warning,
courting, communications, etc. All those "social" purposes are regarded in BioColorPhysics as secondary aims of
the shapes and colors in the biological item. I believe that the "Physical Approach" leads to a deeper understanding
of the first important aims of the shapes and colors of any biological item. But not only biological item. The "Social
Approach" may give the secondary important aims of those shapes and colors by a biological item. We shall see in this
site many examples to the "Physical Approach" and we shall try to explain how the colors and shapes are use by the
biological item for "Social" purposes.
In order to approve scientifically the "Physical Approach" there should be done many simple scientific experiments.
I am not an experimentalist and I do not have the tools for such experiments. All that I am doing in these articles is to
encourage the scientists, both in Physics and Biology, to check the new theory BioColorPhysics. Approval of my speculation
may yield many benefits for Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Engineering, Hi-Tec Technology, etc.
In the following groups of pages I will bring the part of the new theory that deals with the principles of BioColorPhysics.
In the other groups of pages in this site I will give examples of those principles in specific kinds of animals and the plants,
as much as I may accomplish. Please follow the links to see what was already accomplished.
I will try to explain the physical subject in such a way that even those readers that do not know physics, or have forgotten
what they had learned in school, will understand my explanations. If some of the scientific issues is not clear enough, please
use the INTERNET for deeper understanding of the physical and biological subjects mentioned in these pages.
1. The Principles of BioColorPhysics
1.1 The Order Priority for Research of Animals and Plants
During my observation investigations of the connections between the physical functions and the shapes and colors of animals
and plants, I became to the conclusion that it might be useful to have the following order priority for research of those
biological items. Suppose we have at hand a specific biological item, either an animal or a plant, and we wish to understand
its shapes, colors, and behavior. According to the BioColorPhysics theory we may try to answer the following questions in
the following order:
a) What are the first important supplied needs of that specific biological item?
b) What are the obstacles standing in front of that biological item while trying to achieve those first important supplied
needs ?
c) What are the ways to overcome those obstacles ?
d) What are the ways for processing, conservation and emitting surpluses of parts of those first important supplied
needs ?
e) What are the structures and materials in the biological item for achieving all those ways ?
f) What are the physical properties of those structures and materials ?
g) How those structures and materials determine the shapes and colors of that specific biological item ?
h) What are the chemical processes for achieving those physical properties ?
i) What are the biological processes for achieving those chemical and physical properties?
k) How does that specific biological item uses its specific physical, chemical and biological properties for achieving
secondary purposes?
Let us explain shortly each of those questions and their importance for understanding the shapes, colors and behavior
of each animal or plant.
a) What are the first important supplied needs of that specific biological item?
According to the new theory, BioColorPhysics, this question is the starting point for understanding any biological item.
The biological item might be a one living cell or macro living cells such as animal or plant. Each of those biological items
may has its specific first important supplied needs, such as temperatures (energy), gases (oxygen), fluids (drinks), solids
(food), light, other kinds of radiation, etc. I use to regard by "first important supplied needs" those needs that
without them the biological item may not survive. I use to list the importance of the needs according to the period it takes
for the specific biological item to die if the need is not supplied. For instance, very high temperature, say the temperature
of a wood fire, may kill a mammal like us in seconds. Lack of oxygen may kill it in minutes. Lack of a drink (direct or indirect
via fruits) - days. Lack of food - weeks, and so on. It may surprise many of the biologists. But I think that sexual activity
is only a secondary need. Not the first and most important aim of any species as many scientists believe. Most animals may
survive all their life even without sexual activity at all. For many plants, light is one of a first important supplied need.
Specific bands of Electro-Magnetic (EM) spectrum might be important as well.
As far as I learned there do not exist two biological items that has exactly the same supplied needs. Even among two cub-twins
just born there is expected a slight difference between the milk they suck from the different udders of their mother. The
stronger cub twin may reach the better udder.
Therefore, by specifying the first important supplied needs of any biological item, one may classify the biological items
up to an individual item.
b) What are the obstacles standing in front of that biological item while trying to achieve those first needs?
Animals usually move towards their first important supplied needs. As explained above those needs may include gases, drinks,
food, light, radiation, etc. For plants, their first important supplied needs usually move towards them. From the physical
point of view, in both cases, animals and plants, there is a relative motion between the biological item and its first important
supplied needs.
Both, plants and animals should overcome specific environmental obstacles in order to achieve their specific first important
supplied needs. Those obstacles might be typographic, cover, medium (water, air, ground, etc.), illumination (day, night,
forest, cave, etc.), weather (hot, cold, humidity, dryness, winds, rain, snow, etc.) and other obstacles.
c) What are the ways to overcome those obstacles?
Each biological item should develop ways to overcome those environmental obstacles. Otherwise it extinct. It is interesting
to see in Nature that many times that different animals use different way to achieve the same food. For instant, butterfly,
bee and sunbird may suck nectar from the same flower and yet they are so different. At first it seems that this example contradict
my new theory here. The answer is that the whole menu of those three animals is different. The food of the butterfly is mainly
nectars. The food of the bee mainly includes nectars and anthers. The food of the sunbird may include nectars and insects.
Many of the other first important supplied needs of those three animals are also different. In order to overcome the obstacles
on the ways to achieve every item of their first needs, each animal is constructed differently.
d) What are the ways for processing, conservation and emitting surpluses of parts of those first important supplied
needs?
It is interesting to note that every biological item has unique systems for processing, conservation and emitting surpluses
of parts of each of its first important supplied needs. These differences may depend not only on those specific needs but
also on the ways to overcome the obstacles to achieve them. For instance, a rapid cheetah that lives on rapid antelopes can
not have too heavy conservation system. This may explain why the cheetah becomes very tired after a relatively short run.
e) What are the structures and materials in the biological item for achieving all those ways?
In order to achieve all the ways for overcoming specific obstacles and process, conserve and emit surpluses, it is necessary
that the parts of the biological item should be build according to specific physical-engineering laws, such as weight, strength,
flexibility, pressure, temperature, humidity, etc.
f) What are the physical properties of those structures and materials?
For standing in the requirements of the specific physical-engineering laws the parts of the biological item should be
constructed of specific buildings and from specific materials.
g) How those structures and materials determine the shapes and colors of that specific biological item?
Specific structures and materials have specific colors. It is true not only in the wild Nature but also in the city.
When we build an house there is a stage, before the overall painting-cover, when we can see the original colors of the materials
of which the parts house are built. For instance, the concrete columns are usually gray, the wood crossbars are usually light
brown, the iron-steel columns might be dark-brown or bright black-blue, etc. By looking at those colors one may tell the
physical characteristics and the functions of each part of the house. However, after the house is covered by say white plaster
color we may say that we get "artificial color". Now it is more difficult for a new visitor to tell what are the
characteristics and functions of each part.
The central argument of BioColorPhysics is that in Nature there is no "artificial cover colors". Adding an
"artificial color" to any part of a biological item, for a purpose of say beauty, attraction of insects, or any
other "social purpose", may spoil the function of that part. Let us take for example the colors on the butterfly
wings. Those colors are there because of very strongly physical reasoning, as I intended to explain in the pages on butterflies
in the future. We know that the flight of the butterfly may be harmed if one removes the colored powder from its wing. Now,
imagine what a damage could have happen if an "artificial cover color" powder is added to the butterfly wing. It
is reasonable to expect that this butterfly may have difficulties to move its wings and fly. It will not be able to achieve
many of its first importance supplied needs, and he will probably die soon.
In addition to the harmful argument, it is reasonable that "artificial cover colors" may desire very expensive
efforts from any biological item. This may become instead of reaching the first importance supplied needs, and eventually
this biological item may be weak and extinct.
In Color theories they mention usually two kinds of colors: structural colors (or spectral colors) and materials colors
(or pigments). The structural colors are received by physical phenomena due to specific order of grid layers, such as in crystals.
Some of the familiar physical phenomena are reflectance (as from a mirror), transmittance (as through a transparent glass),
dispersion (as through a prism), diffraction (as beyond an old fashion razor blade), and interference (as the colors from
a soup bubble). A specific color may be received according to the impact angle, reflected angle, geometrical structure, and
the space between the layers of the crystal. The colors from a diamond are good example. Many animals exhibit structural
colors. The male of the Palestine Sunbird is a good example. The colors at the "eye" of a peacock train are also
structural colors. See my article in this site about the physics of that "eye", via the page "Animal and
Plant Physics". Please click there on the link to the appropriate page.
The other kind of colors is the materials colors (pigments). The materials colors used by painters are example to this
kind. These colors are accepted by absorption of specific colors from the spectrum of the impact beam and reflected the rest
colors. The addition of the colors reflected gives the color of the pigment under the specific light beam. It is important
to emphasize here that the absorption phenomena of many pigments are due to internal crystals in small containers within those
pigment materials. Those structural containers are connected to the physical properties of the materials. Therefore, also
the pigment colors may hint about specific physical properties. Melanin is a good example to such a pigment. The physical
characteristics of structures with layers of Melanin were described in many scientific articles. For instance, see the references
in that article about the "eye" of the peacock train. As shown in the experiments, the spaces between the layers
of the small crystal containers determine the color of the whole structure. The more narrow those spaces the more approach
of the color to the violet edge of the spectrum. More narrow spaces means stronger structures. Therefore, we see here an example
to the connection between the specific color and the specific physical characteristics.
It should be noted that many colors in biological items are accepted as a combination between structural colors and pigment
colors. For instance, green colors in many fishes, birds, reptiles, plants, etc. are due to the combination of yellow pigment
and blue structural color.
Thus, one should not be surprised by the fact that different color in a part of a biological item hints about different
function of that part.
h) What are the chemical processes for achieving those physical properties?
It is clear that for achieving specific physical properties of a specific part in a biological item, there should be specific
chemical processes in that biological item and in its surrounding. Since I am not a chemists I am not going to talk about
those subjects, but one should be aware to their importance.
i) What are the biological processes for achieving those chemical and physical properties?
It is clear that for achieving the chemical properties of a biological item, there should be developed specific biological
processes in that biological item. Since I am not a biologists I am not going to talk about those subjects, but one should
be aware to their importance.
k) How does that specific biological item uses its specific physical, chemical and biological properties for achieving
secondary purposes?
It is reasonable to assume that the colors and shapes of a specific biological item may determine its chance to survive
while the surrounding uses as a background, as other biological items may "see" them. However, according to BioColorPhysics,
this kind of survivability should be regarded as a secondary purpose, not the first, for which those colors and shapes were
produced. It is reasonable to assume that the today existing biological items are those which have not extinct thanks to
(or despite of) their colors, shapes and qualifications. It is also reasonable to assume that some biological items knows
how to use their colors, shapes and qualifications for running away of their enemies and other "social purposes".
But all those uses should be regarded as secondary uses of the existent properties. The first purpose of our hands, for example,
is to approach the food to our mouth. We may also use our hands for secondary uses such as throwing stones towards an animal,
as act of protection or for hunting. But yet, the most important function of our hand is to approach the food to the mouth.
If you are not sure about it, just look at the uses the Chimpanzees do with their hands.
I wish to finish this part by general argument that supports strongly the new approach of BioColorPhysics.
1. In many animals, the male is quiet different then the female in colors and/or shapes. Those differences hint about
different functions. The clear differences between young and adults also hint about different functions. There are sometimes
also differences in colors by seasons, mainly when there are great differences in climate and food by seasons. These also
hint about the connections between colors and functions.
2. Another strong argument is the fact that one can tell about the maturity of fruits and vegetables, i.e. their stiffness,
by looking at the changes in their colors. For instance, green tomato is usually stiff. But when it becomes softer its color
changed gradually to red.
3. It is clear to me, as a physicist, that animals, plants, and more generally - all biological items, are first of
all physical bodies, i.e. they should obey the physical laws. That means they should stand the stresses, loads, tensions,
compressions, shears, torsion, etc. as much as any inanimate item stands.
1.2 Compositions of Colors and Physical Properties.
There are some general principles that I have found so far while I was trying to understand the physical functions of
the colors in animals and plants:
a) The colors hints about additional of physical functions.
b) It is known that a composition of colors may result as another color. For instance, composition of yellow and blue
gives green. It turns out in many examples we met, that the physical functions of the result color hints about the addition
of the physical functions of the composer colors, and by the same fractions. For instance, suppose the mechanical property
connected to the color blue is "torsion elasticity", with a grade 10, while the mechanical property of the color
yellow is "shearing stiffness, with a grade 10. Let a specific green color be accepted as 60% blue plus 40% yellow.
Then, the mechanical properties of that green are: 6 grade "torsion elasticity" plus 4 grade "shearing stiffness".
The same calculation may be done with regard to the other physical properties, such as thermal, humidity, optics, etc.
To put it in general mathematical form, let P represent all physical properties. Let Px and Py mark the physical properties
of colors x and y, in accordance. Let z be a color that is accepted from k fractions of color x and m fractions of color y,
i.e. z=kx+my. Than in BioColorPhysics we assume the principle saying that the physical properties of color z are: Pz=kPx+mPy.
This is a very general principle, and we try in the following pages to find out if it can be justified for any color, any
physical property, any animal and plant that we examine.
I wish to give here a remarkable example to this principle. As we shall see in the following the thermal properties of
black and white are as follows: black - heat insulation, white - cold insulation. We shall see in the following pages many
examples that confirms this diagnostic. Once I was looking at a TV program that shows the life of the animals in the Namibia
Desert at the Africa. It was a surprise for me to find out that the colors of many animals at the Namibia Desert are gray,
and not black for protection against the hot days as I was expecting. The explanation I found is that those animals should
survive not only the hot days under shadows of trees and caves, but also at the cold nights, when they go to the open and
forage for food. It is clear that the days are hot at many deserts, and the nights there are cold. But at the Namibia Desert
the temperatures reach high values. Many animals prefer to forage for food at night or in the morning and before sunset. During
the day the big animals stay in shadow places. Therefore, the animals should be protected not only against high heat but
also against high cold. The protection against cold is usually done by white colors, as one may learn from many examples in
the Arctic and other cold places. We shall see some of those examples, for white's physical properties, in the following pages.
It is clear to me now that many animals at the Namibia Desert have a composition of the color black and white in order to
reduce the damages of both the heat and the cold. This gives a reason to the gray color from the aspect of the thermal properties.
There are also good reasons from the other kinds of physical properties, such as mechanical, humidity, optics, etc. These
properties may desire other solutions than the gray color. For instance, the Zebra in the Namibia Desert has interchanging
bands of black and white colors. This also gives half protection against heat (the black bands) and half protection against
cold. Those half protections are probably enough for the survivability of this animal at that area. Those bands do probably
the same, for the thermal protections, as does the gray color. However the bands of the Zebra may give mechanical properties
which is different then the gray color. I plan to discuss the physical characteristics of the Zebra in one of the pages to
be developed. There I will give all my scope as to the bands of colors.
This example and other hundreds show the principle of BioColorPhysics: a color accepted as a combination of other colors
hints about the physical properties of the composers, in the appropriate fractions. We shall see in the following pages many
examples to the holding of this principle in the Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms.
Let us see a general example from the food we are used to eat:
Foods are materials we insert into our body. We imply various senses to indicate what kinds of materials we are going
to insert into our stomach. Each of these materials have its specific physical properties, such as size, stiffness, softness,
elasticity, temperature, etc. These physical properties are the most important indicators. If it is too big or too stiff
or too hot or cold, we shall probably split it immediately. In the second grade of importance are the chemical/biological
properties of the food. We indicate them by the tastes: sweet, salty, sour, hot. They indicate the compositions of the food.
In many cases we can tell, due to experience, what is the flavor by detecting the physical properties. For instance, when
we touch an apple and find it to be stiff, we know its taste is tasteless. The smell sense is another kind of indicators
to tell us, in advanced, details about the compositions of the materials we are going to enter into our mouth. For instance,
too sharp smell may indicate about a material that is actually a poison. It might be delicacy for another animal, but not
for us.
The physical and chemical/biological properties of the food determine its color. When the color of a specific food is
changed we usually can tell that the smell and taste are changed as well. We usually use our experience whenever we do a
shopping in the market and looking for the best food. For example, a green tomato is stiff and not good for eating, while
a reddish tomato is usually soft and good. However, deep red tomato is very soft and usually less tasty for a salad, although
It may be used for cooking.
At the bottom-line, the colors hints about the physical properties. This is BioColorPhysics.
Let us see an intersting example regarding the fruit vegetable Sweet-pepper. There are several varieties of the kind
Sweet-pepper (Capsicum annuum). I have noticed that each variety has a specific color (green, greenish, yellow, red, violet,
etc.); a specific general shape (elongated, cube, apple-like, etc.) and a specific division of the seed receptacle. Those
are differences that one may notice by glance. There are also differences in the physical properties of the skin, according
to the different colored varieties of the Sweet-peppers. For instance, the skin of the Green Sweet pepper is stiffer than
the skin of the Red one. In addition each colored variety has its specific taste. Those different tastes are the reason why
we prefer a specific color of Sweet pepper although all are of the same kind of a vegetable. It is known that Sweet pepper
has high amounts of specific vitamins. Each variety has its specific smell and taste.
All those data shows the importance of the list of questions we pose in BioColorPhysics. Each variety of a Sweet-pepper
fruit has its specific first important needs. The general "purpose" of each fruit is to supply the specific seeds
the optimal specific conditions for their development. In order to achieve those specific needs the fruit is build and composed
of special shapes and materials. We probably taste some of those special materials. The color of each Sweet pepper fruit
depends on the structural and pigmentation of each fruit.
Those properties of the Sweet pepper fruit are due to its first important needs. This is BioColorPhysics. However,
one may ask whether there are secondary uses for the shape and colors of each of those fruits. Well, if some important animal,
from the point of view of the seeds, prefers the taste of a red Sweet pepper fruit, and a less important animal prefers the
taste of the Green one, there might be people who may say that the Red color gives a specific advantage. I do not think so.
But if along the evolution there was developed a dependant of the Red fruit on that specific important animal, I would refer
this dependence as a secondary use of the Red color.
In the next page I will talk about the physical properties of the colors in Animals and Plants. Please click:
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