HTTP:: Learn How Insects Smell
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Insects do not have a sense of smell per se, in the way we define it. They respond to chemicals in their environment like humans and higher mammals do, but are not equipped with a nose, nostrils, and smell receptors. Rather, a new study has revealed, they have specialized proteins that perform about the same role. The tiny molecules are located on their antennae, as evidenced by an investigation conducted on silkworm moths. These proteins make the insect sensible to pheromones, chemical triggers in its environment that have been proven to influence its behavior for a long time, the BBC News reports. The science team behind the new research used the United Kingdom-based Diamond Light Source synchrotron to resolve the structure of the tiny protein, which was the 100th analyzed at the facility. Experts from Rothamsted Research and the University of London collaborated for the investigation, which aims at discovering new ways of creating insect repellents and pest-control mec!
hanisms. The protein could only be deciphered at Diamond because the facility was able to generate intense electron beans that could probe structures down to their molecular level. Having studied the structure of the protein in great detail, the UK team was able to accurately determine the precise location at which the pheromone molecule binded to it. &ldqu...
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http://news.softpedia.com/news/Learn-How-Insects-Smell-123160.shtml
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