Cilia Surfers: How Microwaves Carry Particles
Cilia are tiny hairs on cell surfaces. They beat like oars, moving fluid. In the lungs, they push dust and microbes out. But their lengths vary: in humans, they are thousandths of a millimeter; in comb jellies, several millimeters. How do such different cilia work together?
Scientists built a machine that jerks fluid sharply, as if a cilium had struck. They filmed it with a high-speed camera.