Respiratory biology: why insects evolved discontinuous gas exchange.
Many, but not all, insects breathe in a discontinuous gas-exchange cycle. A recent study has evaluated rival hypotheses for the evolution of this trait, concluding that the most likely is the one invoking minimization of respiratory water loss.
Lighton
John R B
JR
School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4004, USA. Jrlighton@aol.com
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D007313:Insecta / Q000502:physiology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange
D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen