Morphology, physiology, biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut: an evolutionary wonderland
The chapter reviews termite gut structure and associations with mutualists, now informed by a great increase of data on intestinal microbial diversity made possible in the last decade by molecular genomics, and in the light of contemporary theories on the origin, evolution and trophic diversificatio...
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| Format: | Chapter In Book |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Netherlands
2011
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20542/1/Morphology.pdf |
| _version_ | 1796910007202086912 |
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| author | David E. Bignell |
| author_facet | David E. Bignell |
| author_sort | David E. Bignell |
| collection | UMS |
| description | The chapter reviews termite gut structure and associations with mutualists, now informed by a great increase of data on intestinal microbial diversity made possible in the last decade by molecular genomics, and in the light of contemporary theories on the origin, evolution and trophic diversification of the Isoptera. Detailed morphological descriptions are not given, but the more modern synoptic literature on anatomy, histology and in situ coiling is listed and discussed in relation to current concepts of the termite gut as a bioreactor system. Knowledge of intestinal microbiology, and of microbial physiology and metabolism, has outstripped progress in understanding secretory and absorptive processes by the gut wall and associated structures, such that the primary substrates fermented in the hindgut and the end products utilised by the termite host are still not precisely identified in many cases. Current perceptions of the specialised digestive processes of fungus-growing and soil-feeding termites are summarised, and an overarching evolutionary thesis is proposed, arguing that social organisation in termites has developed primarily to safeguard the fidelity of symbiont transmission between individuals and generations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T02:58:02Z |
| format | Chapter In Book |
| id | ums.eprints-20542 |
| institution | Universiti Malaysia Sabah |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T02:58:02Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| publisher | Springer Netherlands |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ums.eprints-205422018-07-24T01:23:29Z https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20542/ Morphology, physiology, biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut: an evolutionary wonderland David E. Bignell QL Zoology The chapter reviews termite gut structure and associations with mutualists, now informed by a great increase of data on intestinal microbial diversity made possible in the last decade by molecular genomics, and in the light of contemporary theories on the origin, evolution and trophic diversification of the Isoptera. Detailed morphological descriptions are not given, but the more modern synoptic literature on anatomy, histology and in situ coiling is listed and discussed in relation to current concepts of the termite gut as a bioreactor system. Knowledge of intestinal microbiology, and of microbial physiology and metabolism, has outstripped progress in understanding secretory and absorptive processes by the gut wall and associated structures, such that the primary substrates fermented in the hindgut and the end products utilised by the termite host are still not precisely identified in many cases. Current perceptions of the specialised digestive processes of fungus-growing and soil-feeding termites are summarised, and an overarching evolutionary thesis is proposed, arguing that social organisation in termites has developed primarily to safeguard the fidelity of symbiont transmission between individuals and generations. Springer Netherlands 2011 Chapter In Book NonPeerReviewed text en https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20542/1/Morphology.pdf David E. Bignell (2011) Morphology, physiology, biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut: an evolutionary wonderland. Biology of Termites: a Modern Synthesis. pp. 375-412. ISSN 978-904813976-7 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3977-4_14 |
| spellingShingle | QL Zoology David E. Bignell Morphology, physiology, biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut: an evolutionary wonderland |
| title | Morphology, physiology, biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut: an evolutionary wonderland |
| title_full | Morphology, physiology, biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut: an evolutionary wonderland |
| title_fullStr | Morphology, physiology, biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut: an evolutionary wonderland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Morphology, physiology, biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut: an evolutionary wonderland |
| title_short | Morphology, physiology, biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut: an evolutionary wonderland |
| title_sort | morphology physiology biochemistry and functional design of the termite gut an evolutionary wonderland |
| topic | QL Zoology |
| url | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/20542/1/Morphology.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidebignell morphologyphysiologybiochemistryandfunctionaldesignofthetermitegutanevolutionarywonderland |