Jerri Jopling, age 11, of Visalia, Calif., for his question:

DO INSECTS HAVE BONES?

In a strict sense, bones are part of a creature's internal skeleton. Insects have no internal skeletons, hence no real bones. However, their soft, rather mushy insides need some support to hold them together. This function is performed by a tough or leathery skin. So, in place of bones, insects have this outer skeleton, which is called an exoskeleton.