Abstract
1. 1. A highly efficient cellulose digestion could be demonstrated in a primitive insect species, Thermobia domestica (Thysanura:Lepismatidae), by the application of a uniformly 14C-labelled substrate. 2. 2. Gut extracts exhibit distinct hydrolytic activities toward different cellulosic substrates (cellobiose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose and microcrystalline cellulose). Therefore, the complete cellular complex must be present. 3. 3. Besides cellulases, several other carbohydrates occur in the digestive juice, thus reflecting the omnivorous feeding habits of the insect. 4. 4. The crop was found to be the main site of carbohydrate digestiopn, also including cellulolysis. 5. 5. It is very likely that the cellulolytic enzymes derive from the gut tissues of the firebrat.
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