CROP PROTECTION 44

GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY

INSECT
PHYSIOLOGY
THE EXCRETORY SYSTEM

RYAN CHRISTIAN B. GUIRITAN

Faculty In-charge, CPRT 44
Department of Entomology
• The excretory organs of insects function in removing
nitrogenous wastes and in regulating the balance of water and
various salts in the body fluids.

• The Malpighian tubules are the major organs involved in filtration

of the hemolymph, whereas the hindgut (especially the rectum)
is involved in reabsorption of important ions and water.

• The major nitrogenous waste product in insects is uric acid, a

relatively nontoxic and highly insoluble molecule
EXCRETORY ELIMINATION SYSTEM

• Malpighian tubule-hindgut system

• Storage excretion – waste materials may be retained in the

body in a harmless form instead of being excreted as urine

• Nephrocytes – (pericardial cells) – cells that absorb or engulf

foreign substances from hemolymph

• Labial kidneys (in Apterygotes and Aphids) – in the absence

of Malpighian tubules, these tubular glands have enzymes to
digest wastes and returned the blood for anabolism
MALPIGHIAN TUBULE-
HINDGUT SYSTEM
• It is a major system for regulating water balance
and concentrations and complement of ions, as
well as for the removal of metabolic waste
products
• The Malpighian tubules lie freely among the
organs in the hemocoel.
• They are long, tubular epithelium, closed at one
end, open and empties into the alimentary tract.
• The point of entry varies slightly with species and
can be either at the posterior end of the midgut
(mosquito, locusts, cockroaches), or into the
rectum (Rhodnius).
MALPIGHIAN TUBULE-HINDGUT SYSTEM
• They may open directly into the gut or may join in groups into ampulla
or a tubular ureter which then opens into the gut.
• They vary in number from 2 in coccids to about 250 in Schistocerca.
• The number may increase during post embryonic development.
• They are absent in Collembola and Aphids, and represented only by
papillae in Diplura, Protura and Strepsiptera.
A generalized
scheme of excretion
showing the
collection of fluid in
the Malpighian
tubules (promoted
by active secretion
of protons followed
by an antiporter
exchange of K+ for
H+ in the tubule
lumen), and
extensive
reabsorption of
water, K+, and
useful substances
from the hindgut,
primarily the rectum
(Nation, 2002)
• The Malpighian tubules
possess external longitudinal
muscles allowing them to
have writhing movement so
they could have maximum
contact with hemolymph and
at the same time perhaps,
improving the movement of
fluid in the tubules
themselves.

• Outside the muscles is a

peritoneal sheath formed by
tracheoles.
• In a number of
Coleoptera and larval
Lepidoptera, the distal
parts of the
Malpighian tubules
are intimately
associated with the
rectum, forming a
convoluted layer over
its surface (this is
known as
cryptonephridial
arrangement)
 FUNCTIONS OF MALPIGHIAN TUBULES
1. For the production of primary urine
– The primary urine is an isosmotic filtrate of hemolymph which
serves as the fluid vehicle for carrying excretory wastes, toxic
compounds and excess ions down the tubule.

– K+ from the hemolymph to lumen is actively transported by

Malpighian tubule, Cl- ions following passively (or they maybe
secreted actively in some insects).

– K+ creates the osmotic gradient which draws water through the

epithelium. It is the active secretion of ions, especially K+ by
electrogenic pumps that is of utmost importance in urine
formation.
 FUNCTIONS OF MALPIGHIAN TUBULES
1. For the production of primary urine
– If K+ ions are absent from the in vitro bathing fluid, urine
secretion falls to a low rate.
– In Rhodnius and in some other insects, a specific Na+ ion pump
is present in addition to K+ and Cl- ion pumps.
– The organic solutes may be passively or actively secreted into
the tubule lumen, providing a mechanism for the removal of
unwanted materials from the hemolymph.
– Some insects have the ability to secrete toxins actively, which
may enable the insect to feed on poisonous plants.
– It is therefore not surprising that some herbivorous insects have
evolved the countermeasure of rapidly transporting these
compounds out of the hemolymph.
2. Resorptive Functions
– Ionic modification of the primary urine:
• the Malpighian tubules of a number of insect species
have regions specialized for resorptive functions,
generally near the basal portion.
• for example, in Rhodnius prolixus in which during
diuresis, the primary urine is produced in the upper tubule
while KCl resorption and urine acidification occur in the
lower, leading to the precipitation of uric acid.
– Resorption of glucose :
• the organic compounds of potential values to the insect
are swept into the urine during the process of hemolymph
filtration.
ULTRA STRUCTURE OF
MALPIGHIAN TUBULES
• The Malpighian tubule is consists of a simple
tubular epithelium, only one cell thick.
• These cells lie between the fluid on the basal
surface (hemolymph) and that on the apical side
(urine).
• The plasma membranes of the cells are highly
infolded.
• Apical surfaces of the cells possess microvilli
which increase membrane area available for salt
and water transport between the cell cytoplasm
and lumen.
ULTRA STRUCTURE OF
MALPIGHIAN TUBULES
• There are electrogenic pumps for ion transport
on basal and apical membranes for movement of
ions from hemolymph into cell then into lumen of
Malpighian tubule.
• The mitochondria are unevenly distributed –
large portion lie close to the apical microvilli or
basal plasma membrane infolds.
• This close association of mitochondria with
membranes is known to be active in ion transport
that mitochondria are supplying energy for
membrane-associated transport pumps.
ULTRA STRUCTURE OF
MALPIGHIAN TUBULE CELL
• Simple tubular epithelium
• With regular microvilli adjacent to the
urine, microvilli greatly increase the
surface area available for salt and
water transport between the cell
cytoplasm and lumen
• The basal membranes of the cells,
adjacent to the hemocoel, are infolded
with few openings
• Many mitochondria are enclosed by
infoldings and apical microvilli
ULTRA STRUCTURE OF
MALPIGHIAN TUBULE CELL
• There are electrogenic pumps for ion
transport on basal and apical
membranes or movement of ions from
hemolymph into cell then into lumen
of Malpighian tubule.
• Laterally the cells are joined to each
other by tight junctions and septate
desmosomes