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Digestive enzymes

  • Chapter
Biology of the Insect Midgut

Abstract

It has been estimated that nearly two thirds of the world’s species are in the class Insecta. The reasons for the phenomenal success of the Insecta have attracted the attention of researchers for centuries (Wigglesworth, 1972). Perhaps one significant factor for their success is the ability of insects to exploit a wide range of organic material in their nutrition. These materials extend from refractory wood, humus, wool and wax to the more digestible micro-organisms, plant and animal tissues and finally nutrient imbalanced diets such as plant sap or blood. The digestive capacity depends on the enzymes present and how they are compartmentalized in the insect’s gut.

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Authors
  1. W. R. Terra
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  2. C. Ferreira
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  3. B. P. Jordão
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  4. R. J. Dillon
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK

    M. J. Lehane

  2. Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Aberdeen, UK

    P. F. Billingsley

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Terra, W.R., Ferreira, C., Jordão, B.P., Dillon, R.J. (1996). Digestive enzymes. In: Lehane, M.J., Billingsley, P.F. (eds) Biology of the Insect Midgut. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1519-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1519-0_6

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