Honeybee combs: how the circular cells transform into rounded hexagons | Zendy

B. L. Karihaloo | Zendy; Kai Zhang | Zendy; J. Wang | Zendy

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Honeybee combs: how the circular cells transform into rounded hexagons

Author(s) -

B. L. Karihaloo,

Kai Zhang,

J. Wang

Publication year - 2013

Publication title -

journal of the royal society interface

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 1.655

H-Index - 139

eISSN - 1742-5689

pISSN - 1742-5662

DOI - 10.1098/rsif.2013.0299

Subject(s) - wax , hexagonal crystal system , materials science , flow (mathematics) , transformation (genetics) , triple junction , mechanics , composite material , geometry , biophysics , physics , crystallography , chemistry , biology , optoelectronics , mathematics , biochemistry , gene

We report that the cells in a natural honeybee comb have a circular shape at 'birth' but quickly transform into the familiar rounded hexagonal shape, while the comb is being built. The mechanism for this transformation is the flow of molten visco-elastic wax near the triple junction between the neighbouring circular cells. The flow may be unconstrained or constrained by the unmolten wax away from the junction. The heat for melting the wax is provided by the 'hot' worker bees. © 2013 The Author(s).

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