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Histochemical Investigation On The Distribution And Localization Of Digestive Enzymes In The Alimentary Canal Of The Caddis Fly Larvae, Brachycentrus Occidentalis Banks, Walter B. Hollow

All Master's Theses

A histochemical study of the digestive enzymes of Brachycentrus occidentalis Banks showed that the insect contains the enzymes necessary to utilize the major foods, viz., carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. There appears to be a correlation between the types of digestive enzymes found and the type of food eaten by the larvae. Values of pH for extracts from the different parts of the digestive system were: foregut, 7.6-8.4, midgut, 7.6-8.4, and hindgut, 7.0-7.6. Living micro-organisms in the gut lumen was also shown.