Insect Biochemistry

ISBN-13: 9780412131301 / Angielski / Miękka / 1977 / 64 str.

H. H. Rees

Opis

entiated free-living organism (larva), which is The success of the Insecta as a class (nearly extensively destroyed and rebuilt into a mor- 1 million spp.; phylum Arthropoda) is largely phologically different form (adult) suitable for due to their adaptability to profoundly different ecological niches. Insects have attracted the life in a different ecological niche, is controlled attention of scientists both as useful model by a single genome. This is probably the most systems for the study of many basic biological dramatic reorganization of a growing animal phenomena, and also for the rational develop- known. Certain carefully selected insect ment of new methods of controlling the pest material can, thus, provide suitable model species. As a class, insects have played an systems for developmental studies. important role in the elucidation of numerous The majority of the individual metabolic basic biochemical phenomena. For example, reactions occurring in insects are similar to work on the genetic control of eye pigment those found in other groups of organisms.

Spis treści

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Growth and development.- 2 Distinctive features of metabolism and homeostasis.- 2.1 Digestion and absorption.- 2.2 The flight muscle.- 2.2.1 Respiratory exchange.- 2.2.2 Nature of the substrate consumed during flight.- 2.2.3 Flight muscle morphological organization.- 2.3 Carbohydrate metabolism.- 2.3.1 Interconversion of glucose, glycogen and trehalose.- 2.3.2 Catabolism of carbohydrates in flight muscle.- 2.3.3 The respiratory chain.- 2.3.4 Control of flight muscle mitochondrial oxidations and respiration.- 2.3.5 Metabolic changes during development.- 2.3.6 Metabolism during diapause.- 2.4 Lipid metabolism.- 2.5 Nitrogen metabolism.- 2.5.1 Amino acid and protein metabolism.- 2.5.2 Nitrogen excretion.- 2.6 Haemolymph.- 2.7 The integument.- 2.7.1 Structure of the integument.- 2.7.2 The moulting process.- 2.7.3 Sclerotization and puparium formation.- 2.8 Microsomal oxidations and insecticide resistance.- 2.9 Chemical control mechanisms: neurohormones and cyclic nucleotides.- References.- 3 Hormonal control of development.- 3.1 Endocrine control of moulting and metamorphosis.- 3.2 Determination and differentiation.- 3.3 Moulting hormones.- 3.3.1 Chemical nature and occurrence.- 3.3.2 Biosynthesis and metabolism.- 3.3.3 Effects of ecdysones.- 3.4 Juvenile hormones.- 3.4.1 Chemical nature and occurrence.- 3.4.2 Biosynthesis, transport and metabolism.- 3.4.3 Effects of juvenile hormone.- 3.5 Biochemical mode of action of ecdysones.- 3.5.1 Polytene chromosomes and puffing.- 3.5.2 Selective gene derepression hypothesis.- 3.5.3 Ion hypothesis of gene activation.- 3.5.4 Cyclic AMP.- 3.6 Biochemical mode of action of juvenile hormones.- 3.6.1 Transcriptional control.- 3.6.2 Translational control.- 3.6.3 Membrane effects.- Summary.- References.- 4 Insects and the external environment: pheromones and defensive substances.- 4.1 Pheromones.- 4.1.1 Sex pheromones.- 4.1.2 Alarm pheromones.- 4.1.3 Recruitment pheromones.- 4.1.4 Aggregation pheromones.- 4.1.5 Primer pheromones.- 4.2 Defensive chemistry.- References.- 5 New approaches to insect control.- References.