Spiders have very small mouths. And just like spiders, the insects that are their prey have hard outer bodies. In order to eat their prey, spiders use their strong jaws to puncture the hard outer bodies of insects they have caught. They then throw up special juices from their stomachs into the insect's soft inner body. Within seconds, whatever these juices touch turns into liquid. The spider then sucks the inside of the insect dry and eventually all that is left is the hard insect outer body suit.
Cleaning the Air: How do Different Trees Recycle Carbon Dioxide?
Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide
Human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline in cars or coal in power stations, have led to an increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Trees play an essential role in using up carbon dioxide. However, the extent to which both young and old trees recycle this gas has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Professor Robert Teskey at the Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, USA, believes that as trees grow larger, their ability to recycle carbon increases. Professor Teskey's laboratory is measuring the amounts of carbon dioxide recycled by trees of different sizes by using small electrodes to directly measure the level of CO2 (carbon dioxide) found in tree sap. Preliminary results from this research are providing cutting-edge information on the global importance of trees and their role in recycling carbon dioxide.
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