Exoskeleton (Insect)
외골격(곤충)
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<speciesfyi-glossary slug="exoskeleton-insect"></speciesfyi-glossary>Definition
The hard external covering of an insect composed of chitin, providing protection and muscle attachment points.
Detailed Explanation
Insect chitin exoskeleton is lightweight yet mechanically exceptional — a beetle's elytra (hardened wing covers) can withstand compressive forces 300 times body weight. The exoskeleton must be shed during ecdysis to allow growth — a physiologically costly and vulnerable process. Colors in insect exoskeletons arise from both pigments and nanostructures (structural color) — the iridescence of morpho butterfly wings is entirely structural.