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Related Concept Videos

Characteristics of Life01:23

Characteristics of Life

Biology is a natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their structure, function, development, interactions, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. The field's scope is extensive and divided into several specialized disciplines, such as anatomy, physiology, ethology, genetics, and many more. All living things share a few key traits, including cellular organization, heritable genetic material and the ability to adapt/evolve, metabolism to regulate energy needs, the...
In-vitro Mutagenesis01:16

In-vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.
What is Natural Selection?01:32

What is Natural Selection?

Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.The Theory of Natural...
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...
Osmoregulation in Insects01:47

Osmoregulation in Insects

Malpighian tubules are specialized structures found in the digestive systems of many arthropods, including most insects, that handle excretion and osmoregulation. The tubules are typically arranged in pairs and have a convoluted structure that increases their surface area.
Pollination and Flower Structure02:40

Pollination and Flower Structure

Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.

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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

The Insect Galleria mellonella as a Powerful Infection Model to Investigate Bacterial Pathogenesis
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Published on: December 11, 2012

It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature: Functional Materials in Insects.

Thomas B H Schroeder1,2, Jared Houghtaling2,3, Bodo D Wilts2

  • 1Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2300 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|March 9, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Insects showcase remarkable adaptations, offering a vast, untapped resource for bioinspired materials science and engineering. Studying these unique evolutionary solutions can drive innovation in technology and materials design.

Keywords:
biomaterialsentomologyhierarchical materialsnanomaterialsstructure-function relationships

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Area of Science:

  • Bioinspired Materials Science
  • Insect Morphology and Physiology
  • Materials Engineering

Background:

  • Insects exhibit diverse adaptations like adhesives, advanced locomotion, and sophisticated sensory systems.
  • Insect-inspired designs are already utilized in areas such as antireflective coatings and computing.
  • Over a million specialized insect species represent a largely unexplored source of novel strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compile and categorize spectacular insect adaptations for materials scientists and engineers.
  • To serve as a source of inspiration for the next generation of bioinspired materials.
  • To highlight functional aspects of insect evolution for technological application.

Main Methods:

  • Selection and organization of insect adaptations based on their functional properties.
  • Review of insect examples demonstrating optical properties, hierarchical structures, and defense mechanisms.
  • Analysis of the scale and precision of insect-evolved patterns.

Main Results:

  • Insects display dazzling optical properties due to natural photonic crystals.
  • Hierarchical patterns in insects span from nanometers to millimeters.
  • Insects possess formidable defense mechanisms, including chemical weaponry.

Conclusions:

  • Mimicking insect adaptations can lead to technological solutions for diverse problems.
  • Insect evolution provides a rich blueprint for advanced materials.
  • Further exploration of insect strategies promises significant advancements in bioinspired design.