Do we know what it's like inside a termite's intestines?

Question

I was thinking in terms of what it would take to culture their symbiotic 'bugs' in a 55 gallon drum, but whatever information we have should be helpful.

pH?, chemical constitutents?, temp?, I know they need an anaerobic environment... what else would it would take to keep the cellulose-digesting microorganisms in there alive?

Answer 1

Termites rely primarily upon symbiotic protozoa (metamonads) such as Trichonympha, and other microbes in their gut to digest the cellulose for them, absorbing the end products for their own use. Gut protozoa such as Trichonympha, in turn rely on symbiotic bacteria embedded on their surfaces to produce some of the necessary digestive enzymes. This relationship is one of the finest examples of mutualism among animals. Most so called "higher termites", especially in the Family Termitidae can produce their own cellulase enzymes. However, they still retain a rich gut fauna with bacteria dominant. Due to closely related bacterial species, it is strongly presumed that the termites' gut flora are descended from the gut flora of the ancestral wood-eating cockroaches, like those of the genus Cryptocercus.

Some species of termite practice fungiculture - they maintain a 'garden' of specialized fungi of genus Termitomyces, which are nourished by the excrement of the insects. When the fungi in turn are eaten, their spores pass undamaged through the intestines of the termites, to complete the cycle by germinating in the fresh faecal pellets.[1][2] They are also well known for eating smaller insects in a last resort environment.

Answer 2

sorry there's no response from chemists or biologists who may have an answer but your question is interesting.

Find that chemical environment in termites stomachs and you'll be making oil from garbage.