Question

Are cockroaches uricotelic?

Answer 1

Hint:
- Animals that excrete nitrogenous waste in the form of uric acid are referred to as uric acid-secreting animals. Birds and snakes are examples of uricotelic animals.
- Uricotelic organisms are organisms that excrete uric acid waste. Uricotelic organisms' excreta are usually white paste with insoluble solids or semi-solids. Just a small amount of water is needed to flush out the uric acid.

Complete answer:
- Metabolic wastes or excrements are substances leftover from metabolic processes (such as cellular respiration) that the organism cannot use (due to surplus or toxicity) and must be excreted. Nitrogen compounds, water, $CO_2$, phosphates, sulfates, and other substances fall into this category.
- The excretion of excess nitrogen in the form of uric acid is known as uricotelism. Insects, mammals, and most reptiles are uricotelic species. Despite requiring more metabolic energy to produce urea, uric acid's low toxicity and low water solubility enable it to be compressed into a small amount of pasty white suspension, as opposed to mammals' liquid urine.
- As cockroaches are reptile insects and Cockroaches excrete nitrogenous compounds as waste material or we can say cockroaches excrete uric acid as waste material, which is why they are known as Uricotelic insects.

Hence from the above discussion, it can be concluded that the cockroaches are uricotelic.

Note:
- Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattodea and termites.
- The scientific name of cockroaches is Blattodea.
- Cockroaches breathe through a series of tubes called tracheae that connect to spiracles on all of their body parts.
- Cockroaches are raised in large numbers for medicinal purposes in China.