In
insect physiology and anatomy, the corpus allatum (plural: corpora allata) is an
endocrine gland
Endocrine glands are ductless glands of the endocrine system that secrete their products, hormones, directly into the blood. The major glands of the endocrine system include the pineal gland, pituitary gland, pancreas, ovaries, testes, thyroid ...
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
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
Th ...
to
pupate
A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...
at its next
molt
In biology, moulting (British English), or molting (American English), also known as sloughing, shedding, or in many invertebrates, ecdysis, is the manner in which an animal routinely casts off a part of its body (often, but not always, an outer ...
, resulting in a miniature adult. Similarly,
transplantation of corpora allata from a young larva to a fully mature larva can greatly extend the larval stage, resulting in an equivalent to
gigantism
Gigantism ( el, γίγας, ''gígas'', " giant", plural γίγαντες, ''gígantes''), also known as giantism, is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average. In humans, this condition is caused by o ...
.
In many
Diptera species, the corpus allatum is fused with the
corpus cardiacum, forming a "ring gland", also known as
Weismann's ring.
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
References
Insect anatomy
Arthropod glands
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