I hate cockroaches i hate them a lot to the point i have wished their complete death! I have seen cockroaches in different sizes from small to big and for fast to those with feathers (the worst ones). Some people have told me ''come on why you so scared of them, what can they do to you''

It's not i am scared people, i am disgusted by even touching them. The idea of cockroaches touching my skin is an absolutely torture and in general i don't care if they exist i care only if they are in my house! A couple of hours ago i killed a cockroach that was lurking in my house and then the idea hit me. Why shouldn't i research if this disgusting insect has any reason to be alive and if scientists actually study about it and helps them in some of their projects and ideas, so let's learn together a couple of things about them.

Cockroaches Origin

Cockroaches belong to the order of Blattodea an order which they share with termites as it is considered that they have the same ancestor and till now they share common traits and behaviors. Although there are not similarities in the way they live as termites form colonies and cockroaches not but similarities can be found in having as top choices places that are warm and humid. Also, other similarities are that they share food together and have cannibalism tendencies at the same time (haha so much for the food sharing!). 

Also, loneliness can affect both of this insects in having lower life expectancy as well as to become slower in size as they grow up. The worst one i kept it for last and if you eat i suggest you put your food aside or skip this part. Cockroaches and termites both engage in coprophagy. If you don't don't know what that is, in few words it's the art of eating shit.

It is said that cockroaches are 320 million years in Earth even before dinosaurs one of the oldest insect but ofc through time the species evolved and haven't remained the same as now. There are over 4000 species with only 30 of them to like our cities and houses and from those 30 only 4 are the most usual suspects also known or categorized as Pests Organism 

Pests Organism

In general pest is an animal, a plant, an organism that concerns humanity and their business either this is a parasite in crops or an animal that sicken or eats their livestock. Even if it doesn't harm humans and their business in a direct way and just considered as a nuisance to the majority of us like cockroaches is Pest! A few example of animals that are characterized as pests are: Pigeons,foxes,wild boars,flies,ants,carpet beetles,fleas,slugs, etc etc

Come on people they just like our houses!

Description Of Cockroaches

They can reach 9.5 cm in length, have a small head and mostly have brown and dark colors. The external surface of their body is the toughest one and it has wax all over in order to protect them from water. They also have 2 long antennas and some of them also have wings (screw those). Those wings come as 2 pairs of 2 wings having the first one as some kind of protective and an extra shield and the second one to fly. In case you wonder where exactly cockroaches leave let me assure or terrify you by saying that they can be found literally around the world, from cities,caves and forests to Arctic and desserts.

I will avoid further and deeper dive into their bodies and lives and i am just gonna make it more interesting sharing some facts about them that i think are quite interesting:

1. Cockroaches are like commandos: We all know how adaptable commandos are how they can survive through everything. Well the same applies for cockroaches and you will realize it below too.They can really eat anything from cloth to shit as it is mentioned before! This is probably because they are cold-blooded so they can keep their metabolism rate at low levels
2. Marine skills: Cockroaches can keep their breath 40 minutes long and that is happening because except the usual oxygen absorption spots they have little holes in their bodies that can breath from there too, so if they close those holes ( 40 minutes  max) they can last longer underwater.
3. Undead: If you cut their heads they can survive for a week as the vital organs are not in the brain. Also remember those holes i mentioned a while ago? These holes help them breath and the only obstacle they have in surviving longer is the no mouth part so they can't drink water and die out of thirst.
   
4. Speedsters: Ok that name is because i watch so much Flash but anyhow these little shits can run so fast ( if you tried to kill them then you know) that can go up to walls with their intense speed. It's faster for them to just run that fly!
5. Cockroaches can't survive nuclear explosion: That is a myth because after the events of Nagasaki and Hiroshima only some cockroaches survived so the assumption that can survive a nuclear explosion has been made but the reality is and Myth busters prove it, that they can survive more radiation than us not each and every size of it and below i have you the video to watch it!
   

How & Where Cockroaches are used by ''Normal'' People? 

This may surprise you as it did to me but humanity has found some uses of cockroaches even though it still sound absurd but let's take a closer look of these usages:

• As Pets: Yes people Yes, there are others among us that keep cockroaches like ants as pets, i don't know why and i even can't imagine it but that's a fact.
• As Food for Pets: This is obvious enough, for those that have lizards or other pets than eat insects to have cockroaches as food for their loving pets
• As Food for Us: In many countries eating bugs is considered normal so cockroaches as well can found in many restaurants and as street food. Also it contains a lot of protein and considered an alternative for chicken and beef that are more expensive especially for countries with 3-4$ per day as income. ( i'll stick to the chicken)
• As a way to have some Fun: hahaha in case you didn't know there are cockroach races around the world, you can take part if you want, just search your house for a cockroach and you ready :P Also they can be pretty good prank ideas!
  

How & Where Cockroaches are used by Scientists?

We finally came down to this point. As you know observing Nature either it is animals or plants we can learn a lot of valuable things and make new discoveries that possibly will make our lives better. An early thing scientists have found out is that as cockroaches eat basically everything, they help in recycling the environment and in case you are wondering how this is happening through digestion and waste which it turns as nutrient elements for plants.

Also the zoologist Dr Tom Weihmann and his team have discovered that cockroaches and other fast insects change their gait mid speed and on slippery surfaces reducing the degree of their legs moving synchronized. That leads in lower energy consumption and according to the study robots that deal with huge amounts of energy consumption can learn some valuable things within the research and be more energy efficient.

Cockroach Milk may be the new superfood as scientists discover in a certain species that has a crystal substance like milk so they went for further observation. What they found is that, that crystal contains a lot of proteins and nutrients even 3-4 times more than cow and buffalo milk so a team of scientists and researchers from Institute of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine in India tried to replicate the milk protein and they did it!

I think we all learn some valuable info about cockroaches today and as we have seen mostly nothing in our Earth and Nature has no ''goal''. Even the tinniest and biggest thing play their roles, we just need to find those roles, observe them and use our own ideas based on that to make live for everyone better. After all these i will still not gonna touch or love more any cockroach :P  

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sources
https://frontiersinzoology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12983-017-0232-y

http://journals.iucr.org/m/issues/2016/04/00/jt5013/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockroach

https://www.rentokil.com/insects/crawling-insects-and-arachnids/

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/pdf/germancockroach.pdf/view

https://healthclover.com/cockroaches-edible-healthy-eat/