5 Marks Questions

Question

Describe economic importance of the largest phylum.

Vidyadip · Accepted Answer

The largest phylum is Arthropoda and its economic importance is as follows:

They are major agents for cross pollination. Insects, like butterflies and honey bee facilitate cross pollination.
Honey is an important food for human.
Many crustaceans, like lobsters and prawns are part of cuisine around the world.
The red dye cochineal, produced from a Central American species of insect, was economically important to the Aztecs and Mayans.
The blood of horseshoe crabs contains a clotting agent Limulus Amebocyte Lysate which is now used to test that antibiotics and kidney machines are free of dangerous bacteria, and to detect spinal meningitis and some cancers.
Maggots of housefly are used to treat those wounds which take time to heal because of absence of blood supply.
The relative simplicity of the arthropods' body plan, allowing them to move on a variety of surfaces both on land and in water, have made them useful as models for robotics.
They are carriers of many human parasite causing diseases like malaria, filaria and sleeping sickness.
Cockroaches are one of the major nuisance as they contaminate food in kitchens.
Termites are major causes of playing havoc with wooden furnitures
Scorpions are known for their deadly sting, which can kill human and livestock.

Answer