Chemicals are important for signaling and communication among living systems, either intentionally (such as when two living systems try to find one another) or unintentionally (such as when a plant emits a chemical signal that an herbivore can use to find a tasty bite). They are also important for other uses, such as navigating or finding sources for minerals. But chemical signals are often relatively weak and disperse when moving through water or gases. Therefore, detecting them requires specialized abilities, including a way to determine where they are coming from. A well known example of sensing chemicals can be seen in ants following a pheromone trail laid down by others in their colony to locate a quality and abundant food source.
One of the ways that plants can produce offspring is by making seeds that contain the genetic information to produce a new plant. Seeds can only be produced when pollen grains reach the hidden ovaries within a flower. Flowers have developed wildly diverse forms and activities, such as the production of sweet nectar to attract organisms such as bees and butterflies, that move from flower to flower, transferring pollen. Flowers will also adapt to make use of environmental influences such as wind and water as pollinators.
Class Insecta (“an insect”): Flies, ants, beetles, cockroaches, fleas, dragonflies
Insects are the most abundant arthropods—they make up 90% of the animals in the phylum. They’re found everywhere on earth except the deep ocean, and scientists estimate there are millions of insects not yet described. Most live on land, but many live in freshwater or saltwater marshes for part of their life cycles. Insects have three distinct body sections: a head, which has specialized mouthparts, a thorax, which has jointed legs, and an abdomen. They have well-developed nervous and sensory systems, and are the only invertebrate that can fly, thanks to their lightweight exoskeletons and small size.
Learn what’s new on AskNature by signing up for our e-newsletter.
Each month, we’ll bring you a selection of compelling updates to this ever-growing library of biological strategies and innovations.
We use cookies to give you the best browsing experience. By clicking the Accept button you agree to the terms of our privacy policy.
