Entomology: Introduction, Subdivisions, Uses

Entomology studies insects and their relation to their environment and other living things, including humans. It is a branch of zoology that involves the study of animals. It is a subfield of zoology that deals with animal research. The word is Greek and means "notched", just like most scientific categories. When an animal has segmented body parts, it is an insect.

Entamoeba Histolytica Life Cycle

Introduction to Entomology

Types of Endocrine Glands

An Overview of Entomology

• For various reasons, insects have always piqued human curiosity; in the past, they have even been studied, raised, and revered.
• The enormous type of dung beetle known as the Scarab, which would collect dung balls and bury them, was adored by the ancient Egyptians.
• The female would lay eggs on the dung, and after a few weeks or months, young beetles would appear out of nowhere, appearing to be born again and symbolising the rebirth of life.
• An outstanding example of this may be seen at Cuevas de la Araa en Bicorp in eastern Spain, where a human figure is surrounded by bees as he or she (the figure is androgynous) harvests honey from a hive.
• Insect science did not take off until the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, with the 1800s appearing to have seen the most advancement in the field.
• In a relatively short period, three distinct research areas emerged. The first group consisted of scientists who sought to capture the beauty of nature in excellent detail.
• These detailed illustrations served a purpose beyond aesthetic appreciation; they helped scientists better grasp the physiology of insects.
• The second group was concerned with classification (as were many natural sciences at the time), and they divided things into groups for ease of study and convenience.
• This is still a common practice today, and we still classify new species using the division method, even when we realise that not all species of something can be neatly divided into groups.
• The third group primarily concentrated on investigating the biological processes of insects, including their life cycle, reproduction, habitats, and other aspects.
• By the 19th century, most elite universities were researching insects from all over the world, and prominent scientific organisations had begun a systematic programme of study. This developed during the 18th century.
• The four volumes written by William Kirby and William Spence and published in the early 19th century (9), still regarded as a critical work, are the most outstanding work with such a broad scope for this third category.
• This 19th-century study of insects was primarily motivated by medical science and the need to comprehend and treat illnesses spread by insects, such as malaria and yellow fever, as well as the origins and transmission mechanisms.
• Spreading influence and creating markets in developing nations was crucial to colonialism and developing the market economies of nations.
• That is not to argue that research for the sake of study was not a problem, as it was with so many other naturalists in the 18th and 19th centuries.
• Humans are driven to explore and comprehend the world around them.
• More insect species and their life cycles have been discovered in the 20th and 21st centuries than at any other time. New species are discovered daily, making it far easier for us to go to remote locations than before.
• We've also learned that insect research has applications outside of entomology.

Energy Flow In Ecosystem

Subdivisions of Entomology

Ecology of Insects

Anatomy of Insects

Double Fertilization In Angiosperms

Pathology of Insects

Physiology of Insects

Energy Flow In Ecosystem

Taxonomy of Insects

Toxicology of Insects

Entomology of Pest Control

Types of Endocrine Glands

Harvest Entomology

Criminal Entomology

Applied Entomology

Energy Flow In Ecosystem

Entomology for Human and Veterinary Use

Wildlife Entomology

Agriculture Entomology

Double Fertilization In Angiosperms

Uses of Entomology

Indicators of the Environment

• Entomology offers evidence for overall forest health and cover variations. Insects are an essential component of forest biodiversity because they are susceptible to changes in the temperature and the patterns and seasons of regional flora cover.
• A new pest's appearance or the abrupt decrease of a well-known local species might point to various factors, including the impacts of deforestation, changes in the kinds of arboreal cover, elevated CO2 levels, and recurring ecological problems like drought or flooding.
• They can provide a wealth of information on the varieties of shrubs, flowers, and pollinators like butterflies that exist there. Researchers in many fields heavily rely on entomology, particularly the relationship between insect groups, insects and the environment, and insects and other animal species in the Arctic Circle because of its highly delicate ecosystem. Population data and density are frequently used to examine specific environmental indicators.

Discovery Of Cells

For Archaeology/Anthropology

• The population of insects and their remnants are also becoming more significant in understanding archaeological sites and landscapes as archaeology expands into the field of environmental science.
• We are just now starting to comprehend how geoengineering, hunter-gatherer communities, and even the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution affected regional ecologies in the past when humans significantly affected the environment.
• Only recently have we started to comprehend the value of insect leftovers and which bug species are most beneficial where. For instance, scientists looked for signs of personal hygiene in existing insect remains in a study of western Greenland.
• They can tell us more than this, though. When a pristine landscape is transformed to make room for farmland, the ecosystem is likely to undergo changes that affect the pollen distribution pattern and insect remains, mainly when a crop beneficial to native insect species replaces a crop that was not, or vice versa.
• The archaeological record will show a clear and noticeable pattern shift in these instances.

Endemic Diseases

Forensic and Crime Investigation

• People might be surprised that some bug species can occasionally contribute to criminal investigations and even be used as evidence.
• One of the most critical ways entomology advances our knowledge of human remains in archaeology and legal actions is in this field.
• Decomposing corpses attracts insects, which may start eating on them or depositing their eggs inside them. Investigators can determine many details about a body, like how long it has been dead and where it has been stored, by knowing the lifecycle process of any insect remains they find.
• Most surprisingly, identifying murderers by examining insects dates back to China in the 13th century, when suspects were instructed to put their sickles on the ground and observe which one attracted the most flies to the small quantities of blood on the blade.
• In 1935, when a body was discovered in the UK with many blowflies, using insects as evidence in a criminal prosecution was born. The additional evidence from the blowflies allowed authorities to determine how long the woman had been deceased, resulting in the guilty party's conviction.

Ecological Succession

Entomology in Medicine

• This is the section where we talk about medical studies and how insects affect people's health. This section also covers agricultural damage brought on by plant diseases and insects.
• This implies that scientists who study medical entomology are interested in both urban and rural pests and the illnesses that some insects spread. Research on the efficacy of current pesticides and the creation of brand-new ones will also fall under the purview of medical entomology.
• The early 20th century saw the discovery that mosquitoes were the primary vectors of Yellow Fever transmission, which is when medical entomology probably got its start.
• In all the conflicts the US has fought in, most notably in Iraq and Afghanistan, the primary bodies that do medical entomology research have researched and combated the consequences of key illnesses.
• Although entomology is the study of insects, medical entomology has a wider focus since it includes other arthropods that may impact human health. This includes arachnids like spiders, mites, ticks, and other insects.

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Fruit Fly Study

• Fruitflies have taught us much about evolutionary biology since they reproduce rapidly over generations. We get knowledge essential to study in other fields, notably human genetics, on genetic mutation, genetic drift, and other aspects of evolution. It is possible to use large-scale, rapid cross-breeding to select advantageous features. Even though they have been researched for at least a century, significant knowledge advances have just recently been accomplished.
• Recent studies have also shown that there could be diabetes research discoveries just waiting to be made. The study team found a mechanism to measure mutations in connection to insulin levels, according to a 2014 publication.

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