Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Weightlessness01:01

Weightlessness

5.1K
When an object is dropped, it accelerates toward the center of the Earth. If the net external force on the object is its weight, it is said to be in free fall; that is, the only force acting on the object is gravity. Galileo was instrumental in showing that, in the absence of air resistance, all objects fall with the same acceleration g. However, when objects on the Earth fall downward, they are never truly in free fall, because there is always some upward resistance force from the air acting...
5.1K
Osmoregulation in Insects01:47

Osmoregulation in Insects

16.2K
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.
16.2K
Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface01:20

Variation in Acceleration due to Gravity near the Earth's Surface

2.4K
An object's apparent weight is its weight measured by a spring balance at its location. It is different from its true weight, the force with which the Earth pulls it, because of the Earth's rotation. Mathematically, an object's apparent weight equals its true weight minus the centripetal force that keeps it in a circular motion along with the Earth's surface every 24 hours.
The difference between the true and apparent weights is proportional to the square of the Earth's...
2.4K
Responses to Gravity and Touch02:26

Responses to Gravity and Touch

34.8K
Gravitropism: Plant Responses to Gravity
34.8K
Apparent Weight01:09

Apparent Weight

8.2K
True weight is the measure of the gravitational force acting on an object. However, if the object accelerates, its measured weight is different from its true weight. Similar observations can be made when the object is submerged in water. An object's weight in water is its apparent weight, which is equal to the difference between its true weight and the buoyant forces.
Consider a person standing on a bathroom scale inside an elevator. If the scale is accurate at rest, its reading equals the...
8.2K
Free-falling Bodies: Introduction01:07

Free-falling Bodies: Introduction

8.3K
All objects, neglecting air resistance, fall with the same acceleration towards the Earth's center due to the force exerted by the Earth's gravity. This experimentally determined fact is unexpected because we are so accustomed to the effects of air resistance and friction that we expect light objects to fall slower than heavier ones. People believed that a heavier object had a greater acceleration when falling until Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) proved otherwise. We now know this is...
8.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Environmental impacts on the insect exoskeleton.

Integrative and comparative biology·2026
Same author

Biomimetic tag attachment inspired by the seal louse.

Bioinspiration & biomimetics·2025
Same author

The biomechanical dilemma of phasmid eggs - how do stick insects hatch?

The Journal of experimental biology·2025
Same author

A starfish-inspired 4D self-healing morphing structure.

Scientific reports·2024
Same author

The Future of Bioinspired Innovation: Exploring the Potential of Nanobiomimetics.

Nano letters·2024
Same author

3D escape: an alternative paradigm for spatial orientation studies in insects.

Journal of comparative physiology. A, Neuroethology, sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology·2022

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Mimicking a Space Mission to Mars Using Hindlimb Unloading and Partial Weight Bearing in Rats
05:54

Mimicking a Space Mission to Mars Using Hindlimb Unloading and Partial Weight Bearing in Rats

Published on: April 4, 2019

10.7K

Insect exoskeletons react to hypergravity.

Karen Stamm1, Jan-Henning Dirks1

  • 1Biomimetics-Innovation-Centre, Hochschule Bremen-City University of Applied Sciences, Neustadtswall 30 28199, Bremen, Germany.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|December 5, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Insect exoskeletons adapt to mechanical stress. Studies show hypergravity exposure alters locust cuticle morphology and biomechanics, revealing adaptive capabilities previously unknown in arthropod exoskeletons.

Keywords:
Utah paradigmbiomaterialsexoskeletoninsect cuticle

More Related Videos

Reduced-gravity Environment Hardware Demonstrations of a Prototype Miniaturized Flow Cytometer and Companion Microfluidic Mixing Technology
13:59

Reduced-gravity Environment Hardware Demonstrations of a Prototype Miniaturized Flow Cytometer and Companion Microfluidic Mixing Technology

Published on: November 13, 2014

13.8K
Large-Scale Gravitaxis Assay of Caenorhabditis Dauer Larvae
07:53

Large-Scale Gravitaxis Assay of Caenorhabditis Dauer Larvae

Published on: May 31, 2022

2.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Mimicking a Space Mission to Mars Using Hindlimb Unloading and Partial Weight Bearing in Rats
05:54

Mimicking a Space Mission to Mars Using Hindlimb Unloading and Partial Weight Bearing in Rats

Published on: April 4, 2019

10.7K
Reduced-gravity Environment Hardware Demonstrations of a Prototype Miniaturized Flow Cytometer and Companion Microfluidic Mixing Technology
13:59

Reduced-gravity Environment Hardware Demonstrations of a Prototype Miniaturized Flow Cytometer and Companion Microfluidic Mixing Technology

Published on: November 13, 2014

13.8K
Large-Scale Gravitaxis Assay of Caenorhabditis Dauer Larvae
07:53

Large-Scale Gravitaxis Assay of Caenorhabditis Dauer Larvae

Published on: May 31, 2022

2.3K

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Biological materials commonly exhibit adaptation to mechanical loads.
  • The adaptive capacity of insect cuticle exoskeletons under mechanical stress has not been previously established.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of prolonged hypergravity exposure on insect exoskeleton morphology and biomechanics.
  • To determine if insect cuticles exhibit adaptive responses to altered gravitational conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Locusts were subjected to various hypergravity levels using a custom-designed centrifuge for several weeks.
  • Biomechanical testing and X-ray microtomography were employed to assess changes in the exoskeleton.

Main Results:

  • Exposure to hypergravity up to 3g resulted in a significant increase (approx. 67%) in the Young's modulus of locust tibiae.
  • Higher gravitational loads negatively impacted locust survival rates, body mass, and endocuticle thickness.

Conclusions:

  • Insect cuticle exoskeletons demonstrate a capacity to adapt to hypergravity conditions.
  • This finding expands the known range of adaptive biological materials beyond bone and plant tissues.
  • The study provides insights into the evolutionary factors driving the development of skeletal systems.