The Insect with Two Brains

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We have all looked in wonder at the amazing transformation of a caterpillar into a moth. However, did you realize that a moth needs an entirely different kind of brain than a caterpillar? We can truly say that here we have an insect with two brains! In the caterpillar stage, the moth lumbers around in a body that is primarily designed for eating. Its brain must be able to command powerful jaws and a comparatively huge digestive system as well as the complexities of caterpillar locomotion. The world of the caterpillar is very different from the world of the moth. During metamorphosis the caterpillar completely dissolves and the moth is rebuilt from the liquid. The brain, for example, requires new nerve cells and new connections between brain cells, while some brain cells change function, migrate to new locations, or even die. The result is a brain that is 10 times the size of the caterpillar’s and ready to control flight. The moth’s primary purpose in life is to reproduce. So its new brain is … Continue reading The Insect with Two Brains