Page 45 - The Miracle in the Mosquito

Phases of Development

Say: “Have you thought about your partner deities, those
you call upon besides God? Show me what they have creat-
ed of the Earth; or do they have a partnership in the heav-
ens?” Have We given them a Book whose Clear Signs they
follow? No indeed! The wrongdoers promise each other
nothing but delusion. (Qur’an, 35:40)

What if water gets into the snorkel?
Thanks to snorkel-like organs, the mosquito larvae can carry
on their lives in the water with ease. However, there is a danger in-
herent in breathing through a snorkel. Waves forming on the wa-
ter or the effect of wind can result in water getting into the snorkel
and therefore the mosquito drowning.
However, thanks to an important preventative measure, the
mosquito is protected from being harmed by this potential danger.
The end of the snorkel that comes into contact with the air is cov-
ered with a special kind of oil. This oil has a water repellent (hy-
drophobic) property. When the larva is suspended head-down in
the water, the oil prevents water getting through the hole of the
respiratory tube.
This secretion is specially created for water. When the larva is
put into a fluid other than water, for example petroleum, the se-
cretion fails to function. Petroleum gets into the snorkel and caus-
es the larva to drown.
The fact that the tip of the respiratory tube of a 10 mm (0.4
inch) larva is just a few millimetres in length is not something that
can be passed over lightly. Let’s point out the details:
-there is a special precautionary measure to eliminate the risk
of water getting into the snorkel,
-the secretion is produced exactly where it is needed, i.e. by
the cells at the tip of the air tube,
-this oily secretion is produced in every new generation...

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