Стрибок блохи як катапульта | The flea’s catapult-like jump

A flea really does jump using a catapult-like mechanism: muscles gradually generate force and deform an elastic structure containing the protein resilin, then stored energy is released rapidly as the hind legs push off. So “catapult” is a useful analogy, but the jump is not simply the leg muscles firing instantly by themselves: it combines muscle action, an elastic pad in the thorax, and a release mechanism. The contributions of particular structures have been studied in specific flea species.