Features of fat body development in the body of honey bees

Abstract

The fat body is considered an organ that contains a conglomerate of proteins and fats and acts similar to the liver of mammals. It is loose tissue that is involved in some metabolic functions. One of these functions is to store and release energy in response to energy needs. The article presents data on the development of trophocytes of the fat body of the honey bee and factors that affect the process of lipolysis and lipogenesis. These processes are related to the technological methods of keeping bee colonies. The purpose of the work was to study patterns and factors that affect the growth and development of the structural elements of the fat body. For this, honeycombs with sealed brood were taken from the nest for incubation. After leaving the cells, the selected bees were placed in the nest of the bee colony. Marked bees were selected every 3 days. Histological preparations of various parts of the fat body were studied up to 21 days inclusive. According to research, trophocytes differ from enocytes in their larger size. These rounded cells have a distinct membrane and granular cytoplasm. In the cytoplasm, mostly oval-shaped vacuoles were found, which are filled with energetic and plastic substances, while others are empty. The age-related dynamics of the length of fat body trophocytes was studied. It was found that at the exit from the cell, they are the smallest and amount to an average of 50.12 ± 3.18 μm. With an increase in the activity of enzymes of the intestinal tract, an increase in the morphometric indicators of fat cells is observed. The maximum indicators of the length of trophocytes of the pericardial zone of the fat body were found in 15 daily bees. Measurement of the length of fat cells during this period shows that compared to diurnal bees, trophocytes are larger by 34.6 % (Р < 0.001). After 14 days, a gradual regression of the morphometric indicators of trophocytes is noted. The article analyzes the role of the fat body in the life of the honey bee.