How a caterpillar knows how/why to build a cocoon
In: Biology
It knows how to do it the same way you know how to make ATP and insulin. It’s an autonomous bodily process. Instinct drives it to fatten up, and to make a cocoon, and it’s body breaks down into a goo to be rearranged by genetic processes
DNA is weird
Living things have a few timers already installed in the form of genetic circuitry.
For example the circadian cycle that signals the day from the night.
Same with the methamorphosis of insects.
Another set of timers that is really important is all the scripting when living things are ensembled from scratch, that area is called Developmental Biology.
Methamorphosis is part of Developmental Biology.
All the scripting is very complicated, but when the timer activates the launching sequence is inevitable.
If you are interested you should check this book:
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