What is the process called when an arthropod sheds its exoskeleton and forms a larger one?

What is the process called when an arthropod sheds its exoskeleton and forms a larger one?

• A. Growth
• B. Metamorphosis
• C. Respiration
• D. Molting

Answer: (D)

Molting is the process by which arthropods shed their exoskeleton and form a new, larger one. Because their outer shell is rigid and must be shed to allow growth, the animal first forms a new cuticle beneath the old one, then molts the old exoskeleton (a step often called ecdysis) and enlarges before the new shell hardens. This mechanism is specific to growth with an exoskeleton. Growth is a general term for getting bigger but doesn’t describe the shedding and rebuilding of the shell; metamorphosis refers to major developmental changes in form, not just sizing; respiration is about breathing.

Molting is the process by which arthropods shed their exoskeleton and form a new, larger one. Because their outer shell is rigid and must be shed to allow growth, the animal first forms a new cuticle beneath the old one, then molts the old exoskeleton (a step often called ecdysis) and enlarges before the new shell hardens. This mechanism is specific to growth with an exoskeleton. Growth is a general term for getting bigger but doesn’t describe the shedding and rebuilding of the shell; metamorphosis refers to major developmental changes in form, not just sizing; respiration is about breathing.