People are often enchanted by the beauty of tulips, known as the "queens of the night," with their dazzling array of colors likened by scientists to "royal jewels gleaming under the moonlight."

Researchers at McGill University in Canada have discovered that the vibrant hues of tulips result from a physical phenomenon rather than their inherent structure or chemical processes.

An article in Chemical Physics on September 15 detailed a new study revealing how cellulose fibers within plants reorganize upon exposure to light, creating wrinkled surfaces that enhance and alter the colors of flowers.

This phenomenon, termed "self-assembly," allows tulip internal structures to react physically to changes in factors like temperature and humidity, breaking white light into different colors and producing the flowers' magnificent hues, similar to butterflies and insects.

"These internal structures, known as 'photonic crystals'," noted the technology blog Gizmodo, "selectively scatter light sources, resembling a diffraction grating. The scattering effect is akin to the rainbow 'glints' seen on a CD's grooved surface when light strikes."

The research showed that the number of spectra absorbed by pigments also affects the ability of various organisms to change their colors. For instance, a gemstone weevil in Japan absorbs light scattered internally by its keratin layer to transform itself into vibrant colors.

"At the 'power performance' level, cellulose's function has long been extensively studied," said Alejandro Rey, a chemical engineer at McGill University leading the study. "Upon closer inspection, we found a tendency for cellulose to distort, a twist that could 'empower' cellulose."

"Convergence in a certain direction strengthens cellulose," Professor Rey explained. "This aggregation twist allows cellulose to gain multi-directional hardness."

"Survival is a plant's top priority," remarked Claude de Pamphilis, a plant evolutionary biologist at Pennsylvania State University, to the magazine. "Beautiful flowers are merely byproducts; their primary function is to attract pollinators," he said. "We should focus on these 'pollination' characteristics of plants, with flowers being small rewards found afterward."

To observe how cellulose distortion affects plant appearance, the research team designed a computational model. Through this model, they discovered that helical arrangements beneath the plant's epidermis naturally create a wrinkled outer layer. The heights of these slightly raised "ridges" due to wrinkling need to be measured in nanometers, while the spacing between them is in micrometers.

An article on Gizmodo once mentioned, "Not only do twist patterns affect plant appearance, but the cellulose layer's moisture content also affects optical effects. The more moisture, the less the twist in the fiber layer, and the greater the spacing between raised 'ridges.' The spacing determines which wavelengths of light can be diffracted. For example, changes in environmental humidity convert 460-nanometer light (blue visible light) into 520-nanometer light (visible green light)."

This study not only unveils the physical mechanisms behind the vibrant colors of tulips but also inspires new ideas for future optical device designs. By deepening our understanding of cellulose's twisting behavior and its impact on optical effects, scientists hope to develop more sensitive and efficient devices such as color-changing sensors.

This discovery enriches our understanding of plant structural functions and opens new avenues for materials science and optical engineering. As the research team aims, these findings will drive advancements in optical technology, ultimately benefiting applications across various fields.