PMID: 12770439May 29, 2003Paper

Caterpillars have evolved lungs for hemocyte gas exchange

Journal of Insect Physiology
M Locke

Abstract

Since insect blood usually lacks oxygen-carrying pigments it has always been assumed that respiratory needs are met by diffusion in the gas-filled lumen of their tracheal systems. Outside air enters the tracheal system through segmentally arranged spiracles, diffuses along tubes of cuticle secreted by tracheal epithelia and then to tissues through tracheoles, thin walled cuticle tubes that penetrate between cells. The only recognized exceptions have been blood cells (hemocytes), which are not tracheated because they float in the hemolymph. In caterpillars, anoxia has an effect on the structure of the hemocytes and causes them to be released from tissues and to accumulate on thin walled tracheal tufts near the 8th (last) pair of abdominal spiracles. Residence in the tufts restores normal structure. Hemocytes also adhere to thin-walled tracheae in the tokus compartment at the tip of the abdomen. The specialized tracheal system of the 8th segment and tokus may therefore be a lung for hemocytes, a novel concept in insect physiology. Thus, although as a rule insect tracheae go to tissues, this work shows that hemocytes go to tracheae.

Citations

Feb 13, 2001·Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology·A M Fallon, D Sun
Apr 13, 2000·Annual Review of Entomology·R F Chapman
Dec 9, 2000·Annual Review of Entomology·J F Harrison
Aug 27, 2002·Annual Review of Entomology·Michael Locke
Feb 27, 2013·Journal of Insect Science·Andreas B MölichJohn R B Lighton
May 12, 2012·Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology·Agnes WawrowskiThorsten Burmester
Mar 24, 2016·Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology·Eva GleixnerThomas Hankeln
Oct 6, 2019·Annual Review of Entomology·Julián F Hillyer, Günther Pass
Mar 11, 2011·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Huai-Ti LinBarry A Trimmer
Jun 8, 2021·Arthropod Structure & Development·Kathleen Dittrich, Benjamin Wipfler
Feb 17, 2007·Journal of Insect Physiology·Thorsten Burmester, Thomas Hankeln
Jun 23, 2019·Developmental Biology·Duygu CevikJ Roger Jacobs

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