Insects are the most numerous representatives of the Arthropod type. Thanks to the characteristic features of the structure, they have mastered all habitats. Great and the importance of insects in human life. The benefits and harms of these representatives of the animal world will be considered in the article.
Characteristics of insects
Significance in nature and human life of insects is due to such features of the external and internal structure that allow them to easily adapt to any environmental conditions.
Their body consists of a head, chest and abdomen. A pair of antennae is attached to the first of these sections. The chest is divided into three segments, each of which carries a pair of limbs. Covers form double lamellar folds - wings. But some species of insects, especially those that lead a parasitic lifestyle, have no wings.
The cuticle covering the body of the insect forms the outer skeleton. Outside, it secretes a fat-like substance that prevents the body from excessively losing moisture. The insect muscles are able to contract with high frequency. This leads to a high flight speed.
For some species, such as ladybugs, extraintestinal digestion is characteristic. Like arachnids, they inject their juices into the victim's body. Bed bugs are known that similarly infect seeds of cereal plants.
The respiratory system is represented by a combination of tracheas, which effectively provides cells with oxygen.
The structure of all organ systems has an important adaptive value.
Behavior features
The regulation of the body functions of insects is carried out using the nervous and humoral systems. Therefore, they are characterized by complex behavior. The importance of insects in nature and human life is often due to this very reason.
The central part of the nervous system - the brain, is well developed. Especially his front section. This is manifested in the presence of a system of instincts - innate behavior programs. For insects are characteristic hunting, genital, building and other types of instincts.
Humoral regulation of the body occurs with the help of biologically active substances - hormones. They are secreted by specialized glands in the blood. An example of their action can be the regulation of molting processes, the transition to a state of rest, communication with individuals of the opposite sex.
Public insects
Particularly complex behavior are public species. The value of insects in human life is to obtain honey, bee bread and other useful substances. You, of course, guessed that it was about bees. They live in large families, in which everyone fulfills his irreplaceable role. The prolific queen and males are responsible for reproductive function. But working individuals build honeycombs, and in their free time from this occupation they collect pollen. At the same time, they transfer it to the stigmas of pistils, providing conditions for the fertilization of flowering plants. It is thanks to these insects that the fruits and seeds of many plants appear. These hard workers and provide a positive value of insects in human life and nature.
Ant Workers
Significance in nature and human life of insects can be considered on the example of other creatures - ants. Making their homes, they collect a lot of building material. At the same time, the ants mix the soil, making it more porous and rich in organic matter and oxygen.
Large red species eat a large number of forest pests. However, for humans, their bites can be dangerous. Formic acid, which is released during this, can cause itching, irritation, allergic reactions.
Voracious Orthoptera
Of particular importance to insects in human life are representatives of the orthoptera. These are grasshoppers, bear, locust and other species. But many of them are not as safe as they are in a famous children's song. Locust, which is a herbivorous insect, is able to destroy crops in the fields. This species is able to multiply rapidly. Huge families, flying in search of food, look like real clouds. Moreover, on their way they destroy all plants.
But the enemy of vegetable gardens and gardens is the bear. With the help of powerful digging legs, she makes moves in the soil to search for edible underground parts of plants. This leads to their death. The activity of the bear sometimes acquires significant proportions, causing irreparable harm to the crop.
Why are lice and fleas dangerous?
The value of insects in human life and in nature is often negative. No exception are lice. These wingless insects with a moving claw attach to the hairs of the host's body, feeding on its blood. At the same time, lice can carry deadly diseases: relapsing fever and typhus.
Do not confuse these insects with fleas. The latter are characterized by the presence of jumping legs. But the significance of fleas was not affected in any positive way. They are blood-sucking parasites that can carry diseases.
To avoid infection with these dangerous insects, you need to follow the rules of personal hygiene: do not use someone else's clothing, hats and combs, take water procedures, change clothes periodically.
Amazing bugs
The value of insects in human life and nature is positive and not very good; they have a representative of the Coleoptera squad. Many of them are predators. Moreover, they destroy many pests of agriculture. For example, a ladybug eats aphids, and beetle eats caterpillars of butterfly pests. But, unfortunately, some species of beetles themselves cause great damage to agriculture. Weevil destroys the shoots of sugar beets. And the one who had to collect the larvae of the Colorado potato beetle from potatoes knows that this "handsome" does not need a special presentation. But the most merciless insect is ground beetle. She attacks the prey, even being completely fed up. In captivity, it is sometimes even fed up with small pieces of meat.
But dung beetles, despite the unpleasant name, clean the environment from the excrement that they feed on. At the same time, they rightfully earned the title of the most powerful bugs, since they are able to lift a load 90 times heavier than their own.
Diptera bites
A person who had to bite these arthropods must have decided for a long time that the significance of insects in human life and nature is negative. When it comes to mosquitoes, it's hard to argue with that. Of course, their larvae serve as food for fish. But mosquito bites can cause serious allergic reactions. Some species are carriers of malaria and yellow fever. These diseases are often fatal.
The importance of insects in human life and in nature is also due to the activity of flies. Do not think that they are simply intrusive and harmless. On the surface of their body there are many eggs of helminths, viruses, pathogenic bacteria. However, participating in the process of processing dead organics, flies increase soil fertility.
We can conclude that the value in nature and human life of insects is both negative and positive. But in the course of life, everyone will have to face them, because 250 million insects fall on one person!