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Biology  /  Bio 3083  ·  Atom · ~20 seconds

Exoskeleton Structure and Molting

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An exoskeleton is a rigid external covering, often built from chitin, that an arthropod must periodically shed and regrow through molting in order to grow larger, per Bio 2725's size constraint.

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A molting crab is briefly soft-shelled and vulnerable until its new, larger exoskeleton hardens.

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Molting is a discrete event, not continuous growth — the body cannot enlarge between molts.