Kairomones

Kairomones, chemical signals, warns the prey about the predator. This is produce by the predators and the prey senses it. The chemical identity of Kairomones is still unknown. Kairomones are produce by an individual of one species and usually benefits the receiving species. To communicate with each other, animals use chemicals. An example of this is between the mosquito C. longiareolata and the backswimmer N. maculate. The backswimmers produce a chemical which makes the female mosquito not to lay its eggs in that pool. This is helpful but also not to the egg laying mosquito. It’s helpful by that that the larvae will survive better and the bad thing is that the female mosquito might die from other causes trying to find the right spot to lay her eggs.

This relates to biology because we have discovered that Kairomones help survival in the nature. Without Kairomones organisms will die at a higher rate than without it. This helps understand animals more and there is still a lot more to find out about the different chemicals that animals use. By discovering more chemicals, we can understand how other animals work and perhaps even help the human species.

This is important to us because we can develop new drugs that help prevent virus and disease from entering our body. We can also know more about animals and their behavior. We can produce a pest control spray that keeps out the pests out. So it is important to study and know more about Kairomones.