Dear b-line members,

The fat body in insects including honey bees is composed of cells.
Protein and glycogen are stored as granules in the fat body. The
insect fat body is equivalent to the vertebrate liver. Like the
vertebrate liver, the insect fat body synthesizes, stores and
mobilizes lipids, proteins and glycogen. Variations in the food
reserves of the fat body depend on the state of nutrition, activity
and starvation.
Do you know that the fat body in honey bee queens is
the a major site for production of the vitellogenin (egg proteins)?
This egg protein is released to the haemolymph. Then, the ovaries
will absorb the protein to produce eggs. This information shows the
importance of the fat body to insects including honey bees.

Medhat
important
Medhat Nasr, Ph.D.
Research Scientist,
Ontario Beekeepers' Association
Dept. Environmental Biology
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
N1G 2W1
Tel: (519) 824-4120
Fax:(519)837-0442
e-mail: [log in to unmask]