SHARKSKIN SWIMSUITS
Swimsuits that used technology inspired by
sharks were so good at making swimmers go
faster that they were banned in competitive
swimming!
Under the microscope, sharks have skin
that is covered in tiny overlapping scales, called
“denticles” (a word that basically means “little
skin teeth”). These denticles have tiny grooves
on them that make water flow ver y smoothly
over their sur face. This makes sharks ver y
ef ficient swimmers.
Scientists managed to copy these denticles
and used them to make swimsuits that helped
make swimmers so streamlined they were
breaking all the records!
But even more usefully, this same technology
is now being applied to the bottom of boats,
allowing them to glide through the water more
easily and therefore use less fuel. Another ef fect
of this teeny “skin teeth” technology is a sur face
that stops bacteria from growing on it, which
is incredibly useful in hospitals, helping to keep
them cleaner and preventing the growth of
“super bugs”.015