This information was reported by T4, reports URA-Inform.
In a study published in the journal Science Advances, researchers show why blueberries are blue despite the dark red color of the pigments in the fruit's skin.
As it turned out, their blue color is provided by a layer of wax that surrounds the fruit and consists of miniature structures that scatter blue and ultraviolet light. This gives blueberries a blue color to humans and a blue ultraviolet color to birds.
The chromatic reflection of blue UV radiation results from the interaction of randomly arranged crystalline structures of epicuticular wax with light.
«Blueberry blue cannot be «extracted» by crushing — because it is not found in the pigmented juice that can be squeezed from the fruit. That's why we knew there had to be something weird about this color. So we removed the wax and recrystallized it on cardboard, and in doing so we were able to create a completely new blue UV coating», — the researchers explained.
The ultra-thin dye is about two microns thick, and although less reflective, it is noticeably blue and highly reflective of UV light, possibly paving the way for new dyeing methods.
Recall that it was previously reported that an entire ecosystem was discovered under the planet: scientists told what exactly they found.
