Juvenile hormone | Insect Metamorphosis, Endocrine Regulation & Pheromones | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Also known as: neotenin

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juvenile hormone, a hormone in insects, secreted by glands near the brain, that controls the retention of juvenile characters in larval stages. The hormone affects the process of molting, the periodic shedding of the outer skeleton during development, and in adults it is necessary for normal egg production in females. See also thoracotropic hormone.