1909 



(Jl.KANINGS IN BEK CULTURE 



499 



THE RESPIRATION OF THE HONEY- 

 BEE. 



Combustion in the Animal Kingdom; an 

 Interesting Bit of Scientific Lore. 



BY DR. BRUENNICH. 



.\11 animal life rests upon a process of com- 

 bustion. Generally speaking- we may say 

 that the plants of our earth store the forces 

 which the sun sends down. With the help 

 of these forces the plants build up from the 

 simplest chemical combinations a threat num- 

 ber of compound substances. The plants, 

 therefore, represent the great accumulators, 

 or sparers, while the animals are the hwish- 

 ers, or, in other words, the careless devour- 

 ers, of the treasures which the plants have 

 accumulated. The members of the animal 

 kingdom are indeed always divorcing those 

 compound substances, and producing by tlie 

 aid of them warmth and energy. 



All the aliments are composed mainly of 

 carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The hy- 

 drates of carbon (sugar and starch) and the 

 fats consist exclusively of them, while the 

 albumens contain some more elements; name- 

 Iv, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulphur. 

 Chemically speaking, combustion, whether 

 it is violent, as in the case of fire, or whether 



it is slow, as in the case of rotting wood, or 

 the breaking-down of tissues in the animal 

 body, rests on the fact that oxygen enters 

 into the domestic peace which the elements 

 are leading in the molecule of the compound 

 substances, resulting in the formation of new 

 simple combinations. Thus, the combustion 

 of the hydrates of carbon and fats results in 

 carbonic acid and water; and the combustion 

 of the albumens furnishes, besides these, 

 substances of a more complex nature; name- 

 ly, urea, urates, and a great number of toxic 

 substances — the waste products of the animal 

 body. 



When we compare the animal body with 

 an oven, the fuel is represented by the ali- 

 ments, and the combustion occurs within 

 the millions of cells which are building up 

 the body. The ventilator (that is, the con- 

 veyance of oxygen) is to be found in the res- 

 piratory organs — the lungs, gills (or trache- 

 as) . Tiic channels for the fumes are differ- 

 ent. In the vertebrates they are represent- 

 ed by the lungs, kidneys, intestines, and skin; 

 and in the bee by the tracheas, intestines, 

 vessels of Malpighi, and perhaps also the 

 skin. 



The main use of the respiratory organs is 

 to supply the cells of the body with the oxy- 

 gen necessary for combustion. The atmos- 



FIU. 1.— DELICATE ENDS UK THE FINELY HUllihli 1 kA( HEAS CAKRVING AIR INTO ALL PARTS 



OF THE BEE'S BODY. 



