Thermoclines: A Solar Thermal Energy Resource for Enhanced Hydroelectric Power Production

Abstract

The midguts of adult workers of the higher termite species Macrotermes natalensis contain the entire set of digestive enzymes required for the digestion of native cellulose. The Cx-cellulases and the β-glucosidases are produced, at least in part, by the termite's own midgut epithelium and salivary glands. The C1-cellulases, on the other hand, are acquired by the termites when they feed on a fungus that grows in their nests. We propose that the involvement of acquired digestive enzymes could serve as the basis for a general strategy of resource utilization and further suggest that the acquisition of digestive enzymes may be a widespread phenomenon among mycophagous invertebrates.