Digestion

ENT-502
Insect Physiology
Insect digestive system

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Digestive system development
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Insects are diverse in food and feeding habits
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Diversity in gut structure and function
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In holometabolous insects, larval food is different
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No typical insect gut
Food & gut relation

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Ancestral-type feeding behavior =
scavenger (example)
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Phytophagous or carnivorous feeding
evolved later
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Solid diet modifications (e.g.
proventriculus)
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Liquid diet modifications (e.g. filter
chamber)
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Large storage for animal feeders
Major structural regions
Foregut

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Origin?
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Cuticular lining in foregut
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Divided into buccal cavity (mouth),
pharynx, esophagus, crop, proventriculus,
and esophageal invagination
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Molting and shedding off
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Cells of foregut are non-secretary in
function
Foregut (continued)

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Mouth of buccal cavity
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Salivary secretions contains amylase
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Crop (how contents are managed)
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Proventriculus
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Hormones and the neuropeptides
(serotonin, crustacean cardioactive
peptide, allatostatin-A,
and neuropeptide F)
Extra-oral digestion

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Extraoral digestion occurs in many
insects
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By injecting hydrolytic enzymes
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into the food source
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Sucking the digested products
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Insects utilize very high percentages of
the nutrient value
Proventriculus

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Heavy sclerotized teeth, ridges, and spines
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Flaplike or valve-like extensions
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Esophageal valves or cardiac sphincter
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Junction of foregut and midgut
Midgut
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Origin?
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Midgut = secretion of enzymes
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Gastric caeca arise near junction
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Function is to absorb and secrete
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Midgut cells can secrete a chitin
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Secretion of peritrophic matrix (PM)
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PM surrounds protects midgut cells
Hindgut

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Origin?
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Cuticular lining same as foregut
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Pylorus or pyloric valve
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Contents are fluid before rectum
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Reabsorption of water and ions
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Hindgut of termites are modified
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Function?
Midgut cell types

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Three types:

1. Columnar cells
2. Regenerative cells
3. Goblet cells
Columnar cells

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Most numerous in midgut
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Microvilli on top
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Invaginations in the bottom
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Modifications increase surface area
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Other organelles present
Regenerative cells

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Replace wear out cells
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Found as cell clusters (nidi)
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Example
Goblet cells

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Goblet shaped
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Lies in between columnar cells
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Voltage development
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Absorption of K+ and proteins
Composition of peritrophic membrane

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Chitin, proteins, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans
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Chitin = 4-20%
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Protein up to 40%
Functions of peritrophic matrix

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Protection of the delicate microvilli on the surface of midgut cells
from contact with rough food particles
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A barrier against entry of viruses, bacteria, or other parasites
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Prevent the rapid excretion of digestive enzymes
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Compartmentalization of digestion within the midgut
Prevention of nonspecific binding of undigested materials or plant
allelochemicals to midgut microvillar surfaces
Digestive enzymes

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Signals to secrete enzyme
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Carbohydrate digesting enzymes
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Lipid digesting enzyme
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Protein digesting enzyme
Carbohydrate digesting enzymes

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Secreted by the salivary glands & midgut epithelium
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Examples
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α-Amylase for starch and glycogen
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α-Glucosidase for dextrins
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Other enzymes also help in digestion
Lipid digesting enzyme

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Most fats in insects are triacylglycerols
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Lipases break them into fatty acids and glycerols
Protein digesting enzymes

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Proteinases include serine, cysteine, aspartic acid, and
metalloproteinases
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Endoproteases attack large proteins internally at the linkage between
certain amino acids, thus, breaking the protein into smaller
polypeptides
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Exopeptidases attack the smaller pieces by cutting off the terminal
amino acid
Endoectoperitrophic countercurrent flow

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Countercurrent circulation

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Functions
1. Increase digestive efficiency
2. Conserve nutrients
3. Conserve and reuse enzymes
4. Absorption of digested products
Gut pH

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Influences action of enzymes
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Enzymes work at optimum pH
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Usually, a bit acidic
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Very high acidic conditions in termite hindgut
Assignment

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Digestive system physiology in major insect orders
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Submission deadline 08 March 2022