In insect physiology and anatomy, the corpus allatum (plural: corpora allata) is an endocrine gland that generates juvenile hormone; as such, it plays a crucial role in metamorphosis. Surgical removal of the corpora allata (an allatectomy) can cause an immature larva to Pupa at its next molt, resulting in a miniature adult. Vitamins and Hormones: v. 14: Advances in Research and Applications, edited by Richard Harris, 1956, from Elsevier Similarly, organ transplant of corpora allata from a young larva to a fully mature larva can greatly extend the larval stage, resulting in an equivalent to gigantism. Insect Hormones at John W. Kimball's Biology-Pages.info
In many Diptera species, the corpus allatum is fused with the corpus cardiacum, forming a "ring gland", also known as August Weismann's ring. THE HOMOLOGIES OF THE RING GLAND OF DIPTERA BRACHYCERA, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Volume 36, Number 1, March 1943, pp. 1-10, by M.F. Day
In Lepidoptera species, the corpus allatum acts as a release site for prothoracicotropic hormone which is generated by the brain. Insect Hormones, page 13, by H. Fredrik Nijhout, 1994, Princeton University Press
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