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src="https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/602bdeb5d6e774986aba2086/602bdeb5d6e774830fba20d6_facebook-white.svg" alt="" data-udy-fe="image_-77366cad" srcset=""></a> <a href="https://earthsky.org/earth/brightest-biological-substance-reveals-its-secret/" class="copy-button w-inline-block"><img src="https://earthsky.org/wp-content/themes/earthsky-testing-6c8e0a978c578089f4b8b6-2/images/sharelink.svg" alt="" data-udy-fe="image_-6b1f6008" srcset=""></a> </div> <div class="post"> <div class="post-title-content"> <a href="https://earthsky.org/earth/" class="badge">Earth</a> <h1 class="post-heading">Brightest biological substance reveals its secret</h1> <div class="post-info"> <div class="author-intro" data-udy-fe="text_-10ded548">Posted by</div> <div class="coauthors"> <a href="https://earthsky.org/author/deborahbyrd/" class="post-info-author w-inline-block"> <div>Deborah Byrd</div> </a> <div class="and" data-udy-fe="text_179d7">and</div> </div> <div class="divider-small"></div> <div class="post-info-block"><img src="https://earthsky.org/wp-content/themes/earthsky-testing-6c8e0a978c578089f4b8b6-2/images/calendar.svg" alt="" class="mini-icon-grey" data-udy-fe="image_-1c8ba15" srcset=""> <div>October 3, 2012</div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-rich-text w-richtext"><p>Most colors in nature are produced by <em>pigments</em>, which are chemicals that selectively absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light. Most paints, for example, are a blend of several pigments, intended to reflect light in such a way that you see a specific color. But on September 10, 2012, scientists <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/09/04/1210105109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publishing</a> in the <em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</em> said that the “brightest biological substance” in nature – a spectacular African fruit that is intensely colored blue – creates its own color not from a pigment, but from specialized structures in its cells.</p> <p>This African fruit is called <em>Pollia condensata</em> – sometimes called the marble berry. It’s found growing wild the forests of Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania and other African countries. It has shiny blue berries – said to be hard as a rock – that are mainly seeds. Although it’s called a fruit, it can鈥檛 be eaten. In some African nations, the small metallic fruits have been used for decorative purposes because their colors stay intense for many years.</p> <p>Scientists call this plant’s way of producing color <em>structural color</em>. It’s known in animals, for example, the brilliant hued feathers of male peacocks, the carapaces of certain beetles and the wings of some butterflies. These creatures all use different structures and materials to their iridescence. The African plant is the first demonstration of structural color in a fruit.</p> <p>A specimen of <em>P. condensata</em> at the Kew Botanical Gardens in London – gathered in Ghana in 1974 – maintained its intense color. Researchers from the Kew, the University of Cambridge and the Smithsonian Natural History Museum were intrigued. They wanted to know how this plant keeps its color for so long. What they found is that cells in the fruit of <em>Pollia condensata</em> have walls made of <em>tightly coiled cellulose strands</em>. Different spacings between the strands in each cell reflect light of different wavelengths, producing the iridescent blue colouring of this plant.</p> <p>Bottom line: A plant found throughout Africa – called <em>Pollia condensata</em>, or marble berry – has been found by scientists to be the “brightest biological substance” in nature. Its brightness comes not from a pigment, but from specialized cells within the plant. Scientists call this sort of color <em>structural color</em>. Although some animals, such as peacocks, are known to produce color in this way, this is the first example of structural color within a fruit.</p> <p><a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/09/04/1210105109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the original paper on Pollia condensata</a></p> <span class="cp-load-after-post"></span><style>@media (max-width: 1200px) { .ns-buttons.ns-inline .ns-button-icon { width: 100%; } .ns-buttons.ns-inline .ns-button-label { display: none; } }body .ns-inline a.ns-button, body .ns-inline .ns-total-share-count { margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; }</style><div class='ns-buttons ns-inline ns-inline-below ns-columns ns-5-col ns-share-count ns-has-total-share-count-after ns-no-print'><div class='ns-buttons-wrapper'><a href='https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Brightest%20biological%20substance%20reveals%20its%20secret&url=https%3A%2F%2Fearthsky.org%2Fearth%2Fbrightest-biological-substance-reveals-its-secret%2F&via=earthskyscience' aria-label='X' 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data-udy-fe="text_4a537b">聽in聽</div> <a href="https://earthsky.org/earth/" class="post-bottom-category">Earth</a> </div> <div class="post-about"> <div class="post-author"> <div class="post-avatar" style="background-image: url(https://earthsky.org/upl/2022/09/cropped-debbie-350x350.jpg)"></div> <h4>Deborah Byrd</h4> <a href="https://earthsky.org/author/deborahbyrd/" class="post-author-link">View Articles</a> </div> <div class="post-tags"> <h6 data-udy-fe="text_7c58270d">About the Author:</h6> <div class="team-member-bio post-page">Our Editor-in-Chief Deborah Byrd works to keep all the astronomy balls in the air between EarthSky's website, YouTube page and social media platforms. She's the primary editor of our popular daily newsletter and a frequent host of EarthSky livestreams. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. 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