Life Science Dictionary14 terms

Entomology Terms

Entomology is the study of insects, the most diverse group of animals on Earth. These terms cover their body plan and chitin exoskeleton, their life cycle from larva to pupa to adult, social insects and pheromones, their work as pollinators and carriers of disease, and forensic entomology.

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ArthropodEntomologyAn arthropod is an invertebrate animal with a segmented body, a hard exoskeleton containing chitin and jointed legs, such as an insect, spider or crab.

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ChitinEntomologyChitin is a tough, nitrogen-containing polysaccharide built from N-acetylglucosamine units that forms arthropod exoskeletons and fungal cell walls.

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Forensic entomologyForensic MedicineForensic entomology is the use of insects found on bodies or at scenes to answer legal questions, especially how long a person has been dead.

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LarvaEntomologyA larva is the young, free-living stage of an animal that hatches in a form unlike the adult and must change shape, by metamorphosis, to mature.

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MetamorphosisEntomologyMetamorphosis is a marked change in body form during an animal's development, as when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly or a tadpole a frog.

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VectorParasitologyIn disease biology, a vector is a living organism, often a bloodsucking insect or tick, that carries a pathogen from one host to another.

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