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Silkworm Moths: Sensing Molecules, Hypothesis & Design
Chapter 2, Problem 11(choose chapter or problem)
Female silkworm moths (Bombyx mori) attract males by emitting chemical signals that spread through the air. A male hundreds of meters away can detect these molecules and fly toward their source. The sensory organs responsible for this behavior are the comb-like antennae visible in the photograph shown here. Each filament of an antenna is equipped with thousands of receptor cells that detect the sex attractant. Based on what you learned in this chapter, propose a hypothesis to account for the ability of the male moth to detect a specific molecule in the presence of many other molecules in the air. What predictions does your hypothesis make? Design an experiment to test one of these predictions.
Questions & Answers
QUESTION:
Female silkworm moths (Bombyx mori) attract males by emitting chemical signals that spread through the air. A male hundreds of meters away can detect these molecules and fly toward their source. The sensory organs responsible for this behavior are the comb-like antennae visible in the photograph shown here. Each filament of an antenna is equipped with thousands of receptor cells that detect the sex attractant. Based on what you learned in this chapter, propose a hypothesis to account for the ability of the male moth to detect a specific molecule in the presence of many other molecules in the air. What predictions does your hypothesis make? Design an experiment to test one of these predictions.
Step 1 of 2
Female silkworm moths send out chemical signals to attract males. Even from a long distance, a male can smell these signals and fly to the female. This is because of their special antennae, seen in the picture, which have thousands of sensors to detect the female's scent among many other scents in the air.
Hypothesis:
The receptor cells on the male moth's antennae are uniquely sensitive to the specific molecule emitted by the female.
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Silkworm Moths: Sensing Molecules, Hypothesis & Design
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Explore the sensory marvels of the male silkworm moth known as Bombyx mori and how they detect specific chemical signals from females. Uncover a hypothesis about the unique sensitivity of the moth's antennae and a prediction stemming from it. Learn how to design an experiment to test this hypothesis and deepen your understanding of insect behavior.