Exploring The World of Biology by John Hudson Tiner

Author:John Hudson Tiner [Tiner, John Hudson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RELIGION / Christian Education / Children &#38, Youth, SCIENCE / Life Science / Biology / General
ISBN: 9781614581536
Publisher: Master Books
Published: 2008-10-31T23:00:00+00:00

Jean Henri Fabre became a schoolteacher. He was fortunate to be assigned to a school on Corsica, the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The island rose from sea level to almost 9,000 feet. The change in altitude provided a variety of environments for different plants and animals. Corsica’s lush vegetation earned it the name “the scented isle.” When wind blew across the island, the fragrance of the flowers could be smelled miles out at sea. Abundant vegetation also assured an abundant insect population.

During his four years on the island, Fabre developed his style for studying nature. He combined patient observations of living insects with detailed but interesting descriptions of their behaviors. He also taught himself drawing so he could correctly depict what he observed.

The usual practice by biologists was to capture an insect, kill, and dissect it. A dead insect held no charm for Fabre. He said, “You rip up the animal, and I study it alive; you turn it into an object of horror and pity, whereas I cause it to be loved. . . . I make my observations under the blue sky to the song of the cicadas.”

The classification system developed by biologists puts all arthropods with three body segments into the class Insects. The three divisions of an adult insect’s body are the head, thorax, and abdomen.

The head has antennae, compound eyes, and mouth. Biologists are convinced that antennae are sense organs. But do insects use it to detect odors, sounds, or vibrations? Biologists are not certain exactly what the insect uses the antennae to detect.

The thorax, or chest, of an adult insect serves as the attachment for wings and three pairs of legs. Muscles must be anchored on a solid surface so they can pull the legs and wings. Insect muscles are attached to the hard plates of the exoskeleton, a hard outer covering. Wings are made of the same material as the exoskeleton, but it is much thinner and crossed with veins.

The abdomen is the third part of the insect. It has openings, called spiracles, in the exoskeleton for breathing.

Most adult insects have but one goal — to mate and reproduce. Often their lives are short. For instance, mayflies live only 18 hours as adults. Like many other adult insects, they go without food. They don’t even have a functioning digestive system. Insects with short life spans as adults have various ways to find a mate. Mayflies tend to all swarm out on the same night and fill the air. Fireflies use flashing lights on their abdomen. Cicadas make a loud buzzing sound.

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