Bionics is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature for the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology. The word bionic was coined by Jack E. Steele in 1958, possibly originated from the technical term bion (pronounced BEE-on, from ancient Greek: βίος), meaning "unity of life" and the suffix -ic, meaning " Or "In the way of", therefore, "like life". Some dictionaries, however, explain the word as forming as a portmanteau of biology and electronics. It was popularized by the American television series of the seventies The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, both based on the novel Cyborg of Martin Caidin, which was influenced by the work of Steele. All humans feature given superhuman powers by electromechanical implants.
Technology transfer between life forms and manufactures is, according to proponents of bionic technology, desirable because evolutionary pressure typically forces living organisms, including fauna and flora, to be highly optimized and efficient. A classic example is the development of paint repellent to dirt and water (coating) from the observation that the surface of the lotus flower plant is practically unsticky for anything (the lotus effect). In this domain, biomimetic chemistry refers to reactions which, in nature, involve biological macromolecules (eg, enzymes or nucleic acids) whose chemistry can be replicated in vitro using much smaller molecules.