Even the Hornet can Produce Electricity from Solar Power

Research at Tel-Aviv University have discovered the cause of a wasp can produce electricity at the exoskeleton when the blazing sun. Revealed that the pigment contained in hornet serves to trap the light and then converted into electricity.

Two color pigments contained in the hornet its yellow tissues trap light and the brown tissues work to generate electricity. Hornet cells had only 0.335 percent efficiency is far from the efficiency of solar cells using manmade materials. This is because hornet only requires less energy from solar power than food. Until now not yet known the function of electricity for the hornet.

Further researchers explain that brown tissues in hornet contain melanin, the pigment works to absorbing the damaging ultraviolet light and transforming it into heat. Whereas the yellow tissues in hornet contained the obscure pigment xanthopterin. The pigment usually gives color on butterfly wings and mammal urine.

Research also concluded the possibility of other insect to have the same ability to generate electricity. Although not known the greater benefits of this findings, but its expected to provide inputs for better technology of solar energy utilization.

Photo by: Blickwinkel, Alamy