Sensory system of insect
All insects have sense organs that allow them to see, smell, taste, hear, and touch their environment.
Since these are the same five senses we humans experience, it is tempting to conclude that insects see
what we see, hear what we hear, smell what we smell, etc. But experimental evidence has shown that an
insect’s sensory capabilities are very different (both qualitatively and quantitatively) from those of
humans and other vertebrates.
Since these are the same five senses we humans experience, it is tempting to conclude that insects see
what we see, hear what we hear, smell what we smell, etc. But experimental evidence has shown that an
insect’s sensory capabilities are very different (both qualitatively and quantitatively) from those of
humans and other vertebrates.
All sense organs (receptors) act as transducers — converting light energy, chemical energy, or mechanical
energy from the environment into electrical energy of nerve impulses in sensory neurons. Signals generated by insect sensory receptors travel to the brain or ventral nerve cord where they stimulate
appropriate behavioral responses: finding resources (e.g. food, mate, etc.), avoiding danger, or reacting to changes in the environment. All sensory receptors are derived from embryonic ectoderm and are
integral parts of the insect’s exoskeleton. They can be grouped into one of three categories, d function. Follow the links below for more information about each receptor type:
