noun
- A steroid hormone in insects and crustaceans that regulates molting and metamorphosis.
Usage: biology; entomology
Examples
- Ecdysone triggers the shedding of the insect's exoskeleton during growth.
- The levels of ecdysone in a caterpillar's body determine when it will pupate.
- Researchers study ecdysone to understand how insects develop and transform.
- Crustaceans also produce ecdysone to regulate their molting cycles.
- The hormone ecdysone works alongside juvenile hormone to control metamorphosis.