noun
- a steroid hormone produced by insects and crustaceans that regulates molting and metamorphosis
Usage: biology; also called ecdysone
Examples
- Ecdyson levels rise in insects before they shed their exoskeletons.
- The larva's development is controlled by the release of ecdyson from endocrine glands.
- Scientists study ecdyson to understand how insects grow and transform.
- Ecdyson triggers the molting process in crustaceans like crabs and lobsters.
- Researchers can manipulate ecdyson levels to study metamorphosis in laboratory insects.