Human tears generate electricity
What is common between egg whites and human tears? According to a new research held by Irish scientists, both materials can produce electricity, due to the enzyme contained in them. The article on amazing discovery was published recently in Live Science. This enzyme, called lysozyme, is also found in the saliva and milk of mammalian animals, says the paper by physicists from the Limerick University. This specific protein catalyst has antibacterial properties - it attacks the bacterial cell walls, gradually destroying them. In the crystallized state, lysozyme exhibits another useful feature - the piezoelectric effect, that means that enzyme crystals are able to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy when physically influenced. The word "piezoelectricity" may sound strange and alien in to the average man, but piezoelectrics-crystals surround us everywhere. For example, quartz crystals are used in mobile phones (as a vibrating component). The lysozyme-crystals were spread on a special film. The certain amount of generated electricity was observed when film was pressed. Moreover, lysozyme can generate electricity as well as quartz. However, since it is a biological material, it can only be used in medicine, for example, as an electroactive antimicrobial coating of medical implants. The authors of the research believe that in the future, the lysozyme crystals can be applied in the power supply elements of biomedical devices implanted in the human body.
