Bernard Moussian - Böcker

Insect Anatomy: Structure and Function provides both morphological and anatomical descriptions of insect tissues and organs and the underlying genetic mechanisms of their function using updated methods. Insects play important roles in diverse ecosystems, with subsequent, tremendous impacts on human society through disease, agriculture effects, and more. Both beneficial and detrimental insect species continuously challenge agriculture and medicine. Written by international experts of insect morphology and anatomy, this book offers concise descriptions of all parts of an insect’s anatomy, including the brain and nervous system, tracheal system, blood, reproductive organs, and kidney system.Covers morphological and anatomical bases for gene and protein functionsExamines insect tissues and organs using modern imaging methodsDelves into the ecological and evolutionary factors of successful insect species

Emphasis is placed on the elaborate cuticular matrices in insects and crustaceans, spider and insect silks, sialomes of phytophagous and blood-feeding arthropods as well as on secretions of male and female accessory glands. Focus is placed largely on insects, due to the extensive body of published research that in part is the result of available whole genome sequences of several model species (in particular Drosophila melanogaster) and accessible ESTs for other species. Such advances have facilitated fundamental insights into genomic, proteomic and molecular biology-based physiology. This new volume contains comprehensive contributions on extracellular composite matrices in arthropods. The building blocks of such matrices are formed in and secreted by single layered epithelial cells into exterior domains where their final assembly takes place.Additionally, the unique mechanical properties of natural biocomposites like chitin/chitosan, the crustacean mineralized exoskeleton, the pliant protein resilin or insect and spider silks, have inspired basic and applied research that yield sophistical biomimetics and structural biocomposite hybrids important for future industrial and biomedical use. In summary, this book provides an invaluable vast source of basic and applied information for a plethora of scientists as well as textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate students.