Scientists Are First to Discover Sensory System That Detects Air Humidity
Friday, May 6, 2016 - 03:30
in Biology & Nature
Most insects have dedicated sensory systems to detect water vapor in the air, but little has been known about how they work. Now, Northwestern University and Lund University (Sweden) researchers are the first to discover a sensory system that directly detects humidity. The scientists have identified key genes involved in the fruit fly's ability to detect changes in external humidity, and they also discovered the sensory neurons -- the fly's humidity receptors -- in a strange, small sac in the insect's antennae.