Beeswax
Also known as: cera alba · cera flava
- 1Beeswax is produced by honey bees of the genus Apis.
- 2It is secreted by eight glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees.
- 3The chemical composition consists mainly of esters of fatty acids and long-chain alcohols.
- 4It is used by bees to build cells for honey storage and larval protection.
Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus Apis.
Connections1
The material used to construct Icarus's wings
The melting of the beeswax used to hold the feathers of the wings together is the central mechanism of Icarus's fatal fall.
Beeswax is a natural substance secreted by honey bees belonging to the genus Apis. It is produced by eight wax-producing glands located in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which then discard the material within the hive.
Bee hive wax complexWikimedia Commons: File:Honey_comb.jpgBeeswax cakeWikimedia Commons: File:Beeswax.jpgCommercial honeycomb foundation, made by pressing beeswax between patterned metal rollersWikimedia Commons: File:Beeswax_foundation.jpgFresh wax scales (in the middle of the bottom row)Wikimedia CommonsUncapping beeswax honeycombsWikimedia CommonsTriacontanyl palmitate, a wax ester, is a major component of beeswax. [ 10 ]Wikimedia CommonsBeeswax refined in pellet formWikimedia CommonsProduction of beeswaxWikimedia Commons Chemically, beeswax is composed primarily of esters of fatty acids and various long-chain alcohols. Within the hive, workers utilize this substance to construct the hexagonal cells necessary for honey storage and the protection of developing larvae and pupae, making it an essential component of the beehive structure.