Mealworm Research Paper

“Current Science Event: Mealworms can Digest Plastic” Fascinating larvae known as mealworms have been found to be able to biodegrade specific types plastic and styrofoam through microorganisms found in their gastric juices. These larvae cannot only biodegrade plastic so it is not harmful to other aquatic life, but thrive on the innumerable quantities of this waste. Mealworms that engorge on plastic and styrofoam have been found to be just as healthy as mealworms that consumed an organic diet. As larvae, mealworms follow a specific metamorphosis cycle that features four life stages, or egg, larvae, pupa, and adult, with 9 to 20 instars existing during their metamorphosis. Intriguingly, mealworm larvae are slightly larger than adult beetles by nearly a centimeter. Adult beetles have a distinguished, black head, abdomen, thorax, compound eyes, and a set of primary wings covered by a hard wing cover. Adults can reproduce explosively, as females can lay up to 500 eggs per …show more content…
This rather simplistic aromatic polymer can easily be broken apart in acidic conditions, as it has weak hydrogen and carbon covalence bonds. Mealworms use this hydrogen and carbon in cellular respiration, an amiable substitute for carbon retrieved in glucose. Asides from their uncanny benefits presented in reducing plastic waste, mealworm feces is also extremely beneficial in agrarian industry, as their nitrogen and hydrogen rich contents offer an inexpensive alternative to synthetic fertilizer. Researchers are currently testing how mealworms react to another common plastic, polypropylene. This type of plastic is commonly used in the production of textiles, ropes, and bioplastic, but is considerably less reactive to microbial acid. Regardless of which polymers and monomers mealworms can decompose, they doubtlessly present an economic method of reducing