A closer look JUVENILE HORMONE

摘要

Juvenile hormone (JH) regulates metamorphosis, reproduction and behavioral development in honey bees (Sullivan et al. 2000). JH is synthesized by the corpora allata (CA) glands; two globular organs found on the sides of the esophagus of both larvae and adults. The corpora allata are connected by nerves to two other endocrine organs, the corpora cardica and the neurosecretory cells of the brain (Snodgrass 1956; Breed 1983). The brain regulates CA activity via neural and neuroendocrine signals. The JHtiter in the blood is correlated with the rate of JH synthesis by the CA in vitro, which suggests that the amount of circulating JH is determined primarily by the rate of synthesis (Rachinsky and Hartfelder 1990; Huang et al. 1991).