Insecticides function by targeting specific biological pathways in insects. For example, organophosphates and carbamates inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, leading to the accumulation of acetylcholine in nerve synapses, causing paralysis and death. Pyrethroids disrupt sodium channels in nerve cells, while neonicotinoids mimic acetylcholine, overstimulating and eventually paralyzing the nervous system.
