Thursday

"Gas Chamber" Bug

In years past criminals convicted of capital crimes in some U.S. states died in gas chambers. They died quickly because a very potent poisonous gas, Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), was released into the air they breathed. HCN was also used by the Nazis in the infamous death camps, and by whalers on the tip of harpoons. At 3500 parts per million it can kill a human in 1 minute.

But… there is a bug that produces liquid HCN as a defense mechanism. And… this bug resides here in the USA! These interesting little bugs belong to the millipede order Polydesmida.

They produce and expel HCN out of small openings on their bodies when provoked. For this to happen without killing the insect a complex biological system exists. The system consists of external and internal body parts that are unaffected by the poison.

The insect doesn't keep HCN on board, it actually has a two chamber mixing system just inside each port. The ingredient chemicals are produced and maintained at just the right content levels in connected bladders with exit control sphincters. The chemicals are mixed at the same moment they are expelled through a muscular “valve” system onto a resistant surface on the exterior of the insect. All this has to be controlled by the nervous system which senses and responds to danger.

Again, here we see another deadly complexity… one drop in the wrong place and the bug is dead by its own hand. A complexity that didn't just happen, it was by design or the bug wouldn't be here. Our Creator is amazing.

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