An insect's sensing hair needs to tip and wiggle so it can feel things. The tormogen cell builds a ring-shaped socket that holds the hair, a bit like a ball-and-socket joint.
Drag to turn it around. Use the buttons to zoom in and try things from the lessons.
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Insects like crickets, flies, and cockroaches are covered with tiny sensing hairs. Each hair sits in a little ring called a socket.
The tormogen cell (say "TOR-mo-jen") builds that socket. It sits right next to the trichogen cell, the cell that grows the hair. They are teammates! In fruit flies, both come from the same starting cell.
A cockroach has tiny hairs on its back end that feel the puff of air from something moving nearby. That helps it dash away super fast!
If the hair were glued stiff into the skin, it could not bend, and the insect would not feel a thing.
Scroll up to the 3D model and press Build the socket. Then press Wiggle the hair.