Science of Conflict Unexpected benefits |
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| During World War 2 a researcher at Eastman Kodak named Harry Coover developed a transparent glue made from a group of chemicals known as cyanocrylates.This glue was used to repair gun sights. During the Vietnam War surgeons began to spray this glue onto, potentially fatal, surface wounds in order to stem the blood flow and give the doctors time to stabilise the patient in a field hospital. This glue went on to have wide spread commercial use under the brand name of Superglue. |  |
| Unstoppable bleeding is one of the most common causes of death on the battle field. It is no wonder that a great deal of research has been sponsored by the U.S. military in ways of preventing fatal blood loss from open wounds. The Iraq conflict has posed new challenges and new ways of tending to the wounded are been developed. |  |
| A surprising link exists between the exoskeleton of crab, shrimp, and other crustaceans and a modern bandage that severely reduces bleeding from deep surface wounds in record time. Normal bandages simply become saturated with blood and do little to stop the loss of blood from the wound. Developed in 2003 the new bandage contains a protein found in the exoskeleton of crustaceans called chitosan. |  |
| Chitosan molecules have a positive charge which attracts the red blood cells which have negative charges on the surface of their cell membrane. |  |
| The red blood cells and chitosan
molecules fuse to form a blood clot
that seals the wound. Red blood cells with fibrin fibres are shown on the
right. |
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What is the main cause of death on the battlefield? Explain how the chitosan molecule
encourages blood clotting while the normal gauze bandage does not. Describe the process of blood clotting. Use the words fibrin, platelets.
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with diseases in war |
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