The Spherocrystals in the Tubule Epithelial Cells and Ultrastructure of the Malpighian Tubules of Adult Isophya nervosa (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae)

Abstract

The excretory system in insects consists of Malpighian tubules (MTs) which are responsible forosmoregulation. The functions of the MTs are the removal of the last products of metabolismand the transfer of the toxic compounds into the hindgut. The MTs of the insects varystructurally. In this study, the MTs of Isophya nervosa Ramme, 1951, which is a species thatbelongs to Orthoptera order, were investigated by light and electron microscopes. Adultindividuals of Isophya nervosa were collected in Kızılcahamam, Ankara in 2017 and 2018.Extracted MTs were fixed in Formaldehyde for light microscopy, in glutaraldehyde for electronmicroscopes. They were examined and photographed after dehydration, blocking, sectioningand staining processes were completed. This species has a great number of MTs. One end of theMTs in this species is attached to the ileum and the other closed end is free in hemolymph. Theouter surface of the cells is surrounded by muscle layers and trachea. There are microvilli on theapical region of cells. The lumen is covered with a monolayer cuboidal epithelium. Numerousconcentrically layered spherocrystals in different shapes were observed in the cells. When thechemical compositions of these spherocrystals were analyzed by SEM-EDX system, it was seenthat the contents of them were different ions such as iron (Fe), carbon (C), phosphorus (P),magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and manganese (Mn).