The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Bacillus thuringiensis, or B.t., is a family of bacterial-based, biological insecticides. Specific strains of B.t. are used against a wide variety of leaf-eating lepidopteran pests such as European corn borer, tomato hornworms, and tobacco moths, and some other susceptible insects such as blackflies and mosquitoes. The active agent in B.t. is toxic organic crystals that bind to the gut of an insect and poke holes in cell membranes, literally draining the life from the insect. B.t. can be applied using technology similar to that used for chemical insecticides, such as high-potency, low-volume sprays of B.t. spores applied by aircraft. The efficacy of B.t. is usually more variable and less effective than that of chemical insecticides, but the environmental effects of B.t. are considered to be more acceptable because there is little non-target toxicity.