Entomology Midterm #2 Flashcards
Lectures 8-13 (200 cards)
what is the main toxic element produced from amino acid metabolism?
nitrogen
what are the three methods of packing nitrogen?
ammonium, urea, uric acid
what are the disadvantages of the ammonium method of oxygen packing?
very toxic, requires a lot of water to rid the body of this waste
what two methods of oxygen packing are relatively non-toxic?
urea and uric acid
what are Malpighian tubules?
the “kidney” of insects
what do malpighian tubules look like?
long, thin tubules (2-200) that wave freely in haemolymph
what is the function of Malpighian tubules?
filter and remove wastes (especially nitrogenous products), and absorption of amino acids, salt, and water
where do Malpighian tubules empty their secretions?
into the gut at midgut-hindgut junction
what is the end product of breakdown in malpighian tubules?
ammonia
in most terrestrial insects what is ammonia converted into?
uric acid (insoluble and crystallized out easily)
how does uric acid move out of haemolymph into Malpighian tubules?
passive diffusion (down its concentration gradient)
what does the lining in Malpighian tubules do?
protects rectal cells from relatively large amounts of toxic material in faces
where are the anal lobes/ anal papillae located in mosquitos?
rear end of the larva
what is the function of anal lobes/ anal papillae?
absorb salt
how do the size of anal lobes vary?
based on the concentration of salt in the rearing medium
when is metabolic water produced?
when sugars are broken down into energy, carbon dioxide, and water
what are the three different feeding strategies?
phytothagnous - plant eating
saprophagnous - dead or decaying organic matter
carnivorous - meat eating
what are some physical defences that provide challenges to digestion?
hooks, spines, trichomes, tough leaves
what are the three types of challenges when it comes to digestion?
chemical, physical, low nitrogen levels or low nitrogen/ water levels
what problems do sap feeding insects face when ingesting huge amounts of water?
overloads digestive systems, dilutes enzymes, dilutes haemolymph
what do fat bodies consist of?
loose aggregation of cells invested in connective tissue
what are fat bodies concerned with?
fat metabolism and metabolism of sugars and proteins
what type of regulation are fat bodies involved in?
hormone regulation
what are the four functions of fat bodies?
- metabolism of carbohydrate, lipids and proteins
- regulation of blood sugar
- synthesis of haemolymph proteins
- storage os fats, proteins, and glycogen