Chapter 97 – Fat Body

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses insect fat body, which is a mesodermal tissue composed of a meshwork of loose lobes suspended in the hemocoel and bathed in the insect hemolymph. In certain insect species, mycetocytes (cells containing symbiontic microorganisms) and urocytes (cells containing nitrogenous waste product in the form of uric acid) are present. The fat body is also associated with connective tissue and various blood cell types. Being a major biosynthetic and storage organ in insects, the insect fat body is equivalent to the vertebrate liver. It is the prime location of intermediary metabolism and detoxification processes, as well as storage and excretion of glycogen, lipids, and proteins. The fat body participates in myriad metabolic activities and functions. Absorption from hemolymph and buildup of intracellular storage nutrients in the form of lipid droplets, carbohydrate (glycogen) deposits, and protein granules during the immature stages are aimed at accumulating reserves for later stages and primarily to serve adult activities. During the period of metamorphosis, the fat body tissue undergoes extensive morphological, histological, biochemical, and organizational changes. Dynamic exchanges of nutrients between fat body cells and the hemolymph compartments are evident throughout the life cycle of holometabolous insects.