Rather than rely solely on passive diffusion, insects use discontinuous patterns of gas exchange to avoid the toxic effects of oxygen, according to researchers at the University of California, Irvine.

Insects use discontinuous patterns of gas exchange as a means of avoiding the toxic effects of oxygen, researchers propose in Nature this week. The report puts forward a novel interpretation for a ...

What might be mistaken for a waterslide in this image is actually the breathing tube, or trachea, of a dragonfly. This tube connects to openings in the insect's exoskeleton (outer “shell”) called ...