Moulting

Moulting is the periodic shedding and replacement of an animal’s outer covering, including feathers, hair, skin, or an exoskeleton. It allows some animals to grow and others to renew or replace coverings.

Ecdysis: Ecdysis is the shedding of an old outer cuticle by arthropods and other animals. This is the specific shedding step in moulting animals with an outer cuticle.
Exoskeleton: An exoskeleton is a rigid external covering that supports and protects an animal’s body. An inflexible exoskeleton must be shed for many arthropods to increase in size.
Bird migration: Bird migration is the regular movement of birds between breeding and nonbreeding areas. The timing and energetic demands of feather replacement can interact with migration schedules.
Crustacean: A crustacean is an arthropod such as a crab, lobster, shrimp, or barnacle. Crustaceans periodically shed their exoskeletons as they grow.
Apoptosis: Apoptosis is a regulated process of cell death that removes cells without damaging surrounding tissue. Programmed cell death helps remove old tissues during some forms of moulting.
Integumentary system: The integumentary system is an animal’s body covering and its associated structures. Moulting is one way this body-covering system renews itself.
Molt-inhibiting hormone: Molt-inhibiting hormone is a crustacean neuropeptide that suppresses ecdysteroid production. Its hormonal control is studied in crustacean growth and aquaculture.
Insect: An insect is a six-legged arthropod with a body divided into head, thorax, and abdomen. Insects repeatedly moult during development, often changing form between stages.
Ecdysone: Ecdysone is a steroid hormone that regulates moulting and development in insects. Changes in ecdysone signaling initiate and coordinate insect moulting.
Growth: Growth is a lasting increase in an organism’s size or mass. Shedding a restrictive outer covering can make physical growth possible.

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