General, Research, Technology

Pesticides cause abnormal brain growth in bees

Bees disappear. It has long been known that this sad fact is directly related to the use of pesticides, which are actively used in modern agriculture. Be that as it may, for a long time, researchers could not understand the mechanism of the effect of chemicals on the body of insects, rightfully considered one of the most important for humans. According to calculations, the planet Earth will completely lose its bees after 25 years, which in turn will lead to a decrease not only in the amount of honey on store shelves, but also reduce global food production by up to 75%, since bees play an important role in the reproduction of crops. For a more detailed study of the causes of insect death, scientists conducted a series of studies that showed that pesticides are able to affect the development of the brain of bees, causing a decrease in its activity.

Pesticides destroy the faithful helpers of man - bees

Why do bees die out?

Bees - the most important for the global ecosystemorganisms about the incredible level of intelligence of which we have already written more than once in our articles. Despite their tiny size, bees manage to make a major contribution to the well-being of many ecosystems, while performing only one function - the function of pollinators. In carrying out their main task, bees help plants to multiply and grow, thus having a direct impact on humans. Unfortunately, according to experts, at present, there is not only a decrease in the quantity and quality of crops, but also pollinators themselves, since some species of bees are already on the verge of extinction. The first article on the effects of chemicals on insects was published in Imperial College London.

See also: Bees began to build nests entirely from plastic waste

Having decided to study the effect of pesticides on the brain of bees,Scientists have identified several bumblebee pupae, feeding them nectar contaminated with pesticides for food. The bees that hatched later were scanned using the technology of micro-computed tomography, however, the results of the experiment will not please the animal defenders: the brain of young bumblebees could not develop correctly. As a result of injuries to the area of ​​the brain responsible for training, the bees could no longer fully perform their functions, thereby undermining the survival of the entire colony.

Computed tomography of the bumblebee brain showed abnormalities in the area responsible for training

After analyzing the results of the computerTomography, scientists also found that groups of bees that were exposed to pesticides for a long period of time had an abnormal brain structure. The so-called “mushroom body”, which is responsible for the learning ability of the bees, showed a significantly smaller size compared to other groups. Specialists were also able to come to the conclusion that the colony of bees, which had been exposed to pesticidal effects from a very young age, had extremely poor learning abilities. After a second scan, the scientists noted that the brain of the larval group has not changed in any way even after the complete exclusion of harmful substances from the diet of insects.

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It is worth noting that pesticides do not adversely affectonly on the body of bees, but also on us. Eating vegetables, fruits, and even various types of cereals every day, we can get symptoms of poisoning if the concentration of chemicals remaining in food products exceeds the permissible norm. However, despite the toxicity of the additives used, farmers are still actively using supportive mixtures to protect their fields from disease and, unfortunately, are not going to stop it.