What is metamorphosis?

Metamorphosis is a process used by some arthropods, amphibians, molluscs, cnidarians, echinoderma and tunics to evolve from a youthful larval stage to an adult stage. The larva may resemble miniature versions of the adult or look quite different, but in most cases it has a fundamentally different physiology, including special organs.

One of the most popular concepts of metamorphosis is the transformation of the caterpillar into a butterfly. It has long been seen culturally as a metaphor for transformation and rebirth, the emergence of a beautiful butterfly from an ugly caterpillar. Before involved in metamorphosis, Caterpillar is wrapped in a vagina known as a cocoon. Cocoons may have commercial value - for example, coconut storms are used to produce silk. There has not been any accurate silk reproduction in the laboratory.

Metamorphosis can permanently change the body's abilities. For example, the pulse, larvae form of ampibians, are purely water, but as soon as they turn, they turn into registration, newts, frogsor toads and gain the ability to travel on the ground. Toad, the type of frog adapted to prevent drying, can even spend hours on the ground without exposing water and survive only to moisture from playing in dirt.

Sometimes the difference between a form of larval and an adult is so extreme that the most basic characteristics such as NOCORD (a kind of primitive spine) are present in the larval stage, but not with adults, as in the case of tunicates. It is believed that vertebrates could actually develop from the larvae form of stationary animals such as Tunicates. All vertebrates can be fantastic versions of long -term larva to display a phenomenon known as a neotonia.

Insects are all subject to metamorphosis. There are two main types: incomplete metamorphosis and complete metamorphosis. In the case of incomplete metamorphosis, each instar (phase of release of the exoskeleton) changes only slightly since the last and organism nAlthough it does not enter a closed cocoon, also known as Kufa. In complete metamorphosis, the whole insect closes in Kufa and significantly changes its body form. One example would be a maggot that turned into a fly. There are many other examples of metamorphosis, in several very large animal phyle. The phenomenon of metamorphosis was obviously lost in amphibians, instead it was replaced by further growth inside the womb.