微小酸素電極による昆虫の飛しょう筋内酸素分圧の直接計測〔流体工学, 流体機械〕

概要

論文の詳細を見る
The wing muscle of a flying insect is the most active muscle known. Aerobic metabolism in this muscle is sustained by an organ of intricate geometry but of simple structure, a trachea. The gas transport system in a flying insect drastically differs from that in a vertebrate in that an insect has no red blood to carry oxygen to a tissue and no diaphragm to drive inspiration/expiration gas flow. Here, properties of the gas transport system in a flying insect were investigated by directly measuring the oxygen partial pressure P_<02> in a wing muscle of a hawk moth using a needle electrode. Results showed that at the onset of flight, P_<02> in the moth decreased due to an increase in the metabolic rate. However, during long, stable flight (i.e., about 1 muinutes after onset), P_<02> increased and then reached a plateau. Furthermore, the maximum P_<02> in the center of the second DLM (Dorsal Longitudinal Muscle) during flight was higher than that during rest. Our results strongly suggest that a flying insect effectively uses muscle movement, which increases the frequency and volumetric stroke of ventilation, to augment the gas exchange during flight.
社団法人日本機械学会の論文
1998-06-25