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Updated: Aug 4, 2026

Chemotactic Response of Marine Micro-Organisms to Micro-Scale Nutrient Layers
Published on: May 28, 2007
The role of optimal vortex formation in biological fluid transport
John O Dabiri1, Morteza Gharib
1Graduate Aeronautical Laboratories and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. jodabiri@caltech.edu
Abstract:
Animal phyla that require macro-scale fluid transport for functioning have repeatedly and often independently converged on the use of jet flows. During flow initiation these jets form fluid vortex rings, which facilitate mass transfer by stationary pumps (e.g. cardiac chambers) and momentum transfer by mobile systems (e.g. jet-propelled swimmers). Previous research has shown that vortex rings generated in the laboratory can be optimized for efficiency or thrust, based on the jet length-to-diameter ratio (L/D), with peak performance occurring at 3.5
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