Definition of Gut

The gut is the main digestive organ of insects. The gut runs through both the thorax and the abdomen and is divided into three regions:

1. Fore-gut or stomodaeum
2. Mid-gut or mesenteron
3. Hind-gut or proctodaeum

The fore-gut is where the first breakdown of large pieces of food occurs. The food is then passed to the mid-gut where the main process of breakdown occurs. The remaining food is then passed to the hind-gut and combined with other waste material before being expelled from the insect's body.

Other names for (or types of) Gut include:

• Mesenteron
• Proctodaeum
• Stomodaeum

Related terms

• Abdomen
• Crop
• Malpighian tubules
• Thorax
• Uric acid
• Yellow fever

Related groups of terms

• Invertebrate body structure

Related pages on this web site

• Insect body structure

See other words beginning with G