Proteins in Insects
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Transcript of Proteins in Insects
Proteins in Insects
By: Roberto Gomez, Stefano Meier and Thomas Hearne
• Insects need proteins to do many things.• Proteins are used in most of the processes
they use. • Some insects can use them to produce things
such as: spider webs, exoskeleton, metamorphosis, etc.
• Here are some examples:
Spider Webs
• Silk is a protein fibre produced by spiders.• Spiders produce silk to make spider webs. • Many small spiders use also silk threads for
ballooning. • All sipders produce silk and they can produce
up to seven different types of silk for different uses.
Exoskeleton
• Exoskeleton is basically made up of chitin, a carbohydrate.
• The tough and flexible endocuticle is built by microfibers of chitin surrounded by a matrix of protein.
• Chitin may be compared with the protein keratin.
Metamorphosis
• Is process of development that all insects must pass through it.
• In the incomplete metamorphosis a new epicuticle goes out of the other insect’s out layer of the skin or epidermis.
• When the new epicuticle is coming out, the epidermis releases a mixture of enzymes that digests the endocuticle.
Fireflies
• The fireflies are flying beetles. • Females are lit in the middle of the night to
attract the males, being able to turn of the light to hide from any dangerous situation.
• They are able to produce light through a special organ located in the lower abdomen.
• Bioluminescence it’s generated by symbiotic organisms carried with a larger organism.
• It is generated by an enzyme catalyzed chemoluminescence reaction, where the pigment luciferin is oxidised by the enzyme luciferase.
• Adenosine triphosphate have a huge roll in most instances.