Physiological Systems in Insects

by Marc J. Klowden

Physiological Systems of Insects is designed to emphasize classical material such as the structure and function of insect organ systems. In addition, the book supplements classical material with insights into insect biology achieved through studies of insect molecular biology, neuroendocrinology, biochemistry, and genetics. Throughout the book there is an effort to lay the experimental foundation upon which studies of insect physiology are based. Students, faculty, and researchers who need a summary of the patterns and processes regulated by physiological systems will want this book.
* Comprehensive descriptions of physiological systems
* Clear figures adapted from scientific reports
* Glossary of physiological terms
* Complete references to past and present research

Genres: Biology

415 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2002

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives you a good idea of the types of things science is discovering now with respect to genetics and chemical pathways in cells. There are many diagrams in the book outlining these pathways, even including diagrams of the molecules themselves.

One of the earliest discoveries of hormones in the insect world were the so-called Juvenile Hormones (JH) which do many things, but when absent, allow an insect to progress to a later stage of development, i, e., pupal or adult stage. Apparently, JH is present in all insects, even the most primitive, suggesting that JH was present in the first insects which lived as long as 400 million years ago.

Many of the chemicals that are used in insects are also used in our own bodies. Insulin, for instance, is used by almost all animals and is needed to use or regulate sugars in the appropriation of energy. Commonality between chemical substances in insects and ourselves (and other animals) is a topic that recurs throughout the book.

Certain things in the book were surprises for me, for instance, that insect blood does not usually contain hemoglobin or transfer oxygen to the cells. Insects have air filled passageways, or trachea, which deliver oxygen to the cells. Air is 10 to the sixth power more efficient at transporting oxygen than water, making this an effective strategy for insects.

Obviously, this book was a challenge to read for someone like me with only a literature background. Many of the explanations used terminology that was not decipherable to me. I did enjoy the challenge of it, though. Sometimes it is good to take on a book that is above your own reading level. It helps you realize how much more there is to know, and it primes the pump for later readings which may be more accessible and more thorough. I could read a textbook on cell biology now and be able to relate it to what I've read here, for instance.

I liked the book but gave it only 3 stars because of the difficulty. I still believe the author could have explained some things in a way that would have made them more accessible to non-specialists.

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Also, I took exception to the author's suggestion that all insect behavior is programmed. On the other hand, he did admit that insects learn, for instance that bees learn as they locate sources of food and in order to find their way back to the nest. I wonder how he reconciles those two contrasting facts - the "programming" of insects and their ability to learn. As a pure amateur, it seems obvious to me that insects, when they are physically threatened, possess some awareness of danger or harm, even if they may not have a "concept" of death. It may well be that many insect behaviors are programmed, but that need not mean that they have no feeling as they go through them, for instance a grasshopper molting, or that they possess no awareness or sense of being alive.