Fun fact: Cutaneous respiration (aka “Skin breathing”) is something we humans do too. But it accounts only for 1% to 2% of our oxygen input.
However, the cornea of our eyes doesn’t have its own blood vessels to supply it. Therefore, it relies on direct gas exchange with the environment—in other words, skin respiration.
No, it’s because they have compound eyes. Even if they could afford all the different lenses they need, they’d never have enough time to put them in and take them out, while still working a full day.
Honestly, I was already out of my depth with the entomology and ophthalmology discussed here. The economics of bee optometry might be a bridge too far for me. Can a bee make enough honey to afford such lenses? If so, does it improve the bee’s ability to make honey enough to justify the cost? I have no idea and no clue regarding how to investigate this issue.
perhaps we’re coming at this from the wrong direction, does a bee even need lenses? maybe what they actually need is just eye protection, which would make everything much cheaper
Fun fact: Cutaneous respiration (aka “Skin breathing”) is something we humans do too. But it accounts only for 1% to 2% of our oxygen input.
However, the cornea of our eyes doesn’t have its own blood vessels to supply it. Therefore, it relies on direct gas exchange with the environment—in other words, skin respiration.
Our eyes breath like bees.
Is that why bees can’t wear contact lenses?
No, it’s because they have compound eyes. Even if they could afford all the different lenses they need, they’d never have enough time to put them in and take them out, while still working a full day.
surely they could just make one big lens with facets in it? sure they’re gonna be hellishly expensive but at least they’re usable
Honestly, I was already out of my depth with the entomology and ophthalmology discussed here. The economics of bee optometry might be a bridge too far for me. Can a bee make enough honey to afford such lenses? If so, does it improve the bee’s ability to make honey enough to justify the cost? I have no idea and no clue regarding how to investigate this issue.
perhaps we’re coming at this from the wrong direction, does a bee even need lenses? maybe what they actually need is just eye protection, which would make everything much cheaper
Interesting hypothesis. I guess the best way to test it would be to try to sell bee safety glasses to beekeepers.
You can alway upsell them on bee ears to hold the glasses on
Genius. Genetic modification of bees. What could possibly go wrong?
Correction or no, it seems something like goggles is the solution. Boggles?
I like this fact. That’s why it’s so important to take out certain kinds of contacts at night.
1-2% is more than I’d have imagined!
So what you’re saying is I have two eyes in my beeholes?