Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

The Juvenile Hormone of Insects

Abstract

SINCE the pioneering researches of Wigglesworth1 the corpora allata have been known as the source of a ‘juvenile hormone’ which opposes or prevents the metamorphosis of immature insects. The presence of this hormone exerts a biochemical restraint on the cellular transformations responsible for the metamorphosis of the insect as a whole. These facts have been ascertained by biological procedures such as parabiosis and the transplantation of living corpora allata2. The hormone itself has apparently not been extracted or obtained apart from the living insect or endocrine organ.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wigglesworth, V. B., Quart. J. Micro. Sci., 79, 91 (1936).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Wigglesworth, V. B., “The Physiology of Insect Metamorphosis” (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1954).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

WILLIAMS, C. The Juvenile Hormone of Insects. Nature 178, 212–213 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1038/178212b0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/178212b0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing