The Sounds Smells Right

Male fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster)

Psalm 4:1b
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.”

Insects offer some novel designs. For example, they can have ears on their stomachs, wings or legs. Now, scientists at the University of Zurich in Switzerland have discovered an even more novel arrangement in the fruit fly.

Scientists have been aware for many years that fruit flies can respond to sound. Sound plays an important part in their mating rituals. However, scientists were unsure just how the fruit fly’s hearing worked. They also knew that their antennae, known singularly as arista, had something to do with the way the fruit fly can hear sound. Because an arista is so small, only 300 microns long, scientists have until recently lacked the ability to take the fine measurements necessary to find out what is really going on. Now, all that has been overcome, and we learn that the base of the arista, which also senses smells, actually turns each arista toward the incoming sound. In short, the fruit fly actually rotates its nose so that it can hear better. Researchers have since found a similar arrangement in related flies. They suspect that such an arrangement will be found in several related species.

As amazing as this arrangement is, God’s greatest wisdom is seen in His plan of salvation. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, He has gained the victory over sin, death and Satan for mankind.

Notes: Science News, 6/23/01, p. 391, S. Milius, “Fruit Flies Hear by Spinning Their Noses.”
Photo: Courtesy of André Karwath. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
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