When we examine these flying creatures a little closer, our appreciation for their design multiplies.

It was mentioned that their wings are activated by means of electrical signals conducted through the nerves. However, a nerve cell is only capable of transmitting a maximum of 200 signals per second. Then, how is it possible for the little flying insects to achieve 1000 wing flaps per second?

The flies that flap wings 200 times per second have a nerve-muscle relationship that is different from that of grasshoppers. There is one signal conducted for each ten wing flaps. In addition, the muscles known as fibrous muscles work in a way different from the grasshopper’s muscles. The nerve signals only alert the muscles in preparation for the flight and, when they reach a certain level of tension, they relax by themselves.

There is a system in flies, honeybees, and wasps that transforms wing flaps into “automatic” movements. The muscles that enable flight in these insects are not directly tied to the bones of the body. The wings are attached to the chest with a joint that functions like a pivot. The muscles that move the wings are connected at the bottom and top surfaces of the chest. When these muscles contract, the chest moves in the opposite direction, which, in turn, creates a downward pull.

Relaxing a group of muscles automatically results in contraction of an opposite group followed by relaxation. In other words, this is an “automatic system”. This way, muscle movements continue without interruption until an opposite alert signal is delivered through the nerves that control the system.[3]

A flight mechanism of this sort could be compared to a clock that works on the basis of a wound spring. The parts are so strategically located that a single move easily sets the wings in motion. It is impossible not to see the flawless design in this example. The perfect creation of Allah is evident.

System Behind Thrusting Force

It is not enough to flap wings up and down in order to maintain smooth flight. The wings have to change angles during each flap to create a force of thrust as well as an up-lift. The wings have a certain flexibility for rotation depending on the type of insect. The main flight muscles, which also produce the necessary energy for flight, provide this flexibility.

For instance, in ascending higher, these muscles between wing joints contract further to increase the wing angle. Examinations conducted utilising high-speed film techniques revealed that the wings followed an elliptical path while in flight.

In other words, the fly does not only move its wings up and down but it moves them in a circular motion as in rowing a boat on water. This motion is made possible by the main muscles.

The greatest problem encountered by insect species with small bodies is inertia reaching significant levels. Air behaves as if stuck to the wings of these little insects and reduces wing efficiency greatly. Therefore, some insects, the wing size of which does not exceed one mm, have to flap their wings 1000 times per second in order to overcome inertia.

Researchers think that even this speed alone is not enough to lift the insect and that they make use of other systems as well. As an example, some types of small parasites, Encarsia, make use of a method called “clap and peel”. In this method, the wings are clapped together at the top of the stroke and then peeled off. The front edges of the wings, where a hard vein is located, separate first, allowing airflow into the pressurised area in between. This flow creates a vortex helping the up-lift force of the wings clapping.[4]

There is another special system created for insects to maintain a steady position in the air. Some flies have only a pair of wings and round shaped organs on the back called halteres. The halteres beat like a normal wing during flight but do not produce any lift like wings do. The halteres move as the flight direction changes, and prevent the insect from losing its direction. This system resembles the gyroscope used for navigation in today’s aircraft.[5]

It is evident that this system is an example of creation. No coincidental process can explain an intricate design. All of the systems that we have explored so far uniformly demonstrate that there is an extraordinary design to even the least significant of creatures such as flies. Any single fly is a miracle that testifies to the flawless design in the creation of Allah.

This article is from our archive, originally published on an earlier date, and now republished for its importance.

Reference:

[1] “Exploring The Evolution of Vertical Flight at The Speed of Light”, Discover, October 1984, pp. 44-45.

[2] Ali Demirsoy, Yasamin Temel Kurallari (Basic Fundamentals of Life), Ankara, Meteksan AS., Volume II, Section II, 1992, p. 737.

[3] Bilim ve Teknik G?rsel Bilim ve Teknik Ansiklopedisi (Encyclopedia of Science and Technology), Istanbul, G?rsel Publications, p. 2676.

[4] Bilim ve Teknik G?rsel Bilim ve Teknik Ansiklopedisi (Encyclopedia of Science and Technology) p. 2679.

[5] Smith Atkinson, Insects, London, Research Press, Volume I, 1989, p. 246.