Anatomy of Butterfly Wings
SYNOPSIS

by Lin Hsin Hsin


The butterfly wings is a nature masterpiece. It unveils an exquisite tapestry of hues & patterns via chitin

The colors in butterfly wings come from either:

🌈 colored pigments
🌈 structural color
🌈 combination of the above

All these pigments & structures are built by proteins Groups of proteins work like assembly lines turning raw materials into richly colored molecules building colors & the respective intensities

Fun Facts

The instructions for making the proteins are genetically coded

Chitin is the major component in the extracellular cuticle and plays multiple roles in insects.

In butterflies, chitin contributes to the development of scales & color patterns