Home › Forums › Wonders of Creation › Cyanide Bombs
- This topic has 3 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 9 months ago by poverty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
July 23, 2009 8:59 pm at 8:59 pm #590078feivelParticipant
There is chemical warfare going on between a certain tropical butterfly, Heliconius sara, and its only food source, the passion vine. The vine arms itself with cyanide bombs that are rather useful in getting rid of most insect pests. Not the case with the Heliconius sara caterpillar, though. This particular species of caterpillar is equipped with the means to disarm these bombs.
Certain cells in the passion vine’s leaves contain cyanide linked to sugar compounds. Alone this compound of cyanide and sugar is harmless. But in nearby cells the plant possesses enzymes that when mixed with the cyanide and sugar can cause a release of poisonous cyanide gas. When most insects chomp down on a passion vine leaf the nearby cells burst, releasing all of these chemicals so that they mix. Cyanide gas is formed, and the hungry insect rapidly dies.
The caterpillar never comes into contact with the poisonous cyanide gas. In a chemical process not yet understood, the caterpillar replaces the cyanide molecules with sulfur hydrogen molecules that are harmless. Thus, when the cell compartments burst there is no release of cyanide gas, and the caterpillar can go on feasting.
July 24, 2009 4:01 pm at 4:01 pm #651017feivelParticipantthank you matza
interesting!
July 24, 2009 7:10 pm at 7:10 pm #651018povertyMemberwow, fantasticly!!
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.