This book is devoted to the rapidly growing area of science dealing with structure and properties of biological surfaces in their relation to particular function(s). This volume, written by a team of specialists from different disciplines, covers various surface functions such as protection, defense, water transport, anti-wetting, self cleaning, light reflection and scattering, and acoustics. Because biological surfaces have a virtually endless potential of technological ideas for the development of new materials and systems, inspirations from biology could also be interesting for a broad range of topics in surface engineering.

This book surveys attachment structures and adhesive secretions occurring in this class of animals and discusses the relationships between structure, properties, and function in the context of evolutionary trends, and biomimetic potential. Topics comprise mechanical attachment devices, such as clamps, claws, hooks, spines and wraps, as well as hairy and smooth adhesive pads, nano-fibrils, suction cups, and viscid and solidifying adhesives. Attachment is one of the major types of interactions between an organism and its environment. There are numerous studies that deal with this phenomenon in lizards, frogs, insects, barnacles, mussels and echinoderms, but the second largest class of animals, the Arachnida, was highly neglected so far. The authors demonstrated that most arachnid adhesive structures are highly analogous to those of insects and vertebrates, but there are also numerous unique developments with some intriguing working principles. Because arachnid attachment organs have a very strong potential of technological ideas for the development of new materials and systems, inspirations from biology could also be interesting for a broad range of topics in materials and surface engineering.

The slime envelope is strongly involved in the proper functioning of the diaspore at different regulatory levels. It plays an essential role in dispersal, and creates conditions suitable for germination (either stimulation or inhibition depending on environmental cues). By adhesion of the diaspore to the soil, it is protected from unwanted moves to unfavourable habitats. By anchoring the seed in substratum, it regulatesitsorientationandrootpenetration.Finally,theslimeenvelopesuppliesthe embryo and developing seedling with water and nutrients and defends them against viral or fungal pathogenic attack. The presence of slime assures a plant's success in both dispersal of the diaspore and colonization of new habitats. In general: the slime envelope allows plants to live, ?y and not die. Acknowledgments I particularly want to thank my colleague Dr. Edyta Gola (University of Wroc?aw) for the critical revision of this work. References Abeysekera, R.M. and Willison, J.H.M. (1987) Development of helicoidal in the prerelease mucilage of quince (Cydonia oblonga) seed epidermis. Can. J. Bot. 66: 460-467. Anio?-Kwiatkowska, J., Kwiatkowski, S., and Berdowski, W. (1993) Rosliny ' lecznicze. Atlas. Warszawa: Arkady. Baiges, J.C. and Blanche, ' C. (1988) Morfologia de les granes de les especies ' iberico-balears ' del genere ' Euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae), I. Subgen. Chamaesyce Ra?n. Actes del Simposi Internacional de Botanica ' Pius Font i Quer, vol II: 91-96. Baiges, J.C., Espadaler, X. and Blanche, ' C. (1991) Seed dispersal in W Mediterranean Euphorbia species. Botanika Chronika 10: 697-705.

The slime envelope is strongly involved in the proper functioning of the diaspore at different regulatory levels. It plays an essential role in dispersal, and creates conditions suitable for germination (either stimulation or inhibition depending on environmental cues). By adhesion of the diaspore to the soil, it is protected from unwanted moves to unfavourable habitats. By anchoring the seed in substratum, it regulatesitsorientationandrootpenetration.Finally,theslimeenvelopesuppliesthe embryo and developing seedling with water and nutrients and defends them against viral or fungal pathogenic attack. The presence of slime assures a plant's success in both dispersal of the diaspore and colonization of new habitats. In general: the slime envelope allows plants to live, ?y and not die. Acknowledgments I particularly want to thank my colleague Dr. Edyta Gola (University of Wroc?aw) for the critical revision of this work. References Abeysekera, R.M. and Willison, J.H.M. (1987) Development of helicoidal in the prerelease mucilage of quince (Cydonia oblonga) seed epidermis. Can. J. Bot. 66: 460-467. Anio?-Kwiatkowska, J., Kwiatkowski, S., and Berdowski, W. (1993) Rosliny ' lecznicze. Atlas. Warszawa: Arkady. Baiges, J.C. and Blanche, ' C. (1988) Morfologia de les granes de les especies ' iberico-balears ' del genere ' Euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae), I. Subgen. Chamaesyce Ra?n. Actes del Simposi Internacional de Botanica ' Pius Font i Quer, vol II: 91-96. Baiges, J.C., Espadaler, X. and Blanche, ' C. (1991) Seed dispersal in W Mediterranean Euphorbia species. Botanika Chronika 10: 697-705.

This book is devoted to the rapidly growing area of science dealing with structure and properties of biological surfaces in their relation to particular function(s). This volume, written by a team of specialists from different disciplines, covers various surface functions such as protection, defense, water transport, anti-wetting, self cleaning, light reflection and scattering, and acoustics. Because biological surfaces have a virtually endless potential of technological ideas for the development of new materials and systems, inspirations from biology could also be interesting for a broad range of topics in surface engineering.