The total nitrogen, protein, amino acid and uric acid content of ageing Drosophila

Abstract The body weights, total nitrogen, protein, water, amino acid and free uric acid contents of hybrid adult male Drosophila subobscura and Drosophila melanogaster were measured as a function of age. No changes were found in any of these parameters during the senescence of the flies. This suggests that the cell number or mass of adult male Drosophila remains unchanged with age, unlike mammalian systems where age-related changes have been observed. The absence of an age-related accumulation of uric acid, in contrast to what has been found in many insects, is discussed.