How do pesticides affect insect pests?

How do pesticides affect insect pests?

• A. Skeletal system; Respiratory system; Growth Regulation
• B. Digestive system
• C. Nervous system
• D. Reproductive system

Answer: (A)

Pesticides primarily disrupt the insect nervous system, which controls movement, feeding, and survival. Many pesticides are neurotoxins because blocking nerve signaling quickly incapacitates and kills insects. For example, organophosphates and carbamates inhibit acetylcholinesterase, causing acetylcholine to build up and nerves to fire continuously, leading to overstimulation, paralysis, and death. Pyrethroids interfere with nerve membrane channels, causing neurons to fire in bursts and again resulting in paralysis. Other pesticide types do exist that target growth and development (insect growth regulators), or processes in the digestive or reproductive systems, but the rapid, direct lethality most pesticides achieve comes from disrupting nervous system function.

Pesticides primarily disrupt the insect nervous system, which controls movement, feeding, and survival. Many pesticides are neurotoxins because blocking nerve signaling quickly incapacitates and kills insects. For example, organophosphates and carbamates inhibit acetylcholinesterase, causing acetylcholine to build up and nerves to fire continuously, leading to overstimulation, paralysis, and death. Pyrethroids interfere with nerve membrane channels, causing neurons to fire in bursts and again resulting in paralysis.

Other pesticide types do exist that target growth and development (insect growth regulators), or processes in the digestive or reproductive systems, but the rapid, direct lethality most pesticides achieve comes from disrupting nervous system function.