The ultrastructure of the body wall cuticle in Acrobeles complexus, Cervidellus alutus, and Zeldia punctata was studied as a step toward understanding biological diversity within Cephalobinae, and to discover new characters for phylogeny-based classification of the suborder. In each species the cuticle consists of cortical, median, and basal layers. The cortical layer includes an external trila...

Transmission Mueller-matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry is applied to the cuticle of the beetle Cetonia aurata in the spectral range 300-1000 nm. The cuticle is optically reciprocal and exhibits circular Bragg filter features for green light. By using differential decomposition of the Mueller matrix, the circular and linear birefringence as well as dichroism of the beetle cuticle are quantified....

The hindgut and foregut in terrestrial isopod crustaceans are ectodermal parts of the digestive system and are lined by cuticle, an apical extracellular matrix secreted by epithelial cells. Morphogenesis of the digestive system was reported in previous studies, but differentiation of the gut cuticle was not followed in detail. This study is focused on ultrastructural analyses of hindgut apical ...

Selenoproteins, in particular thioredoxin reductase, have been implicated in countering oxidative damage occurring during aging but the molecular functions of these proteins have not been extensively investigated in different animal models. Here we demonstrate that TRXR-1 thioredoxin reductase, the sole selenoprotein in Caenorhabditis elegans, does not protect against acute oxidative stress but...

The role of specialized regions of insect rectal papillae in the regulation of water and ion uptake is well documented. Although the apparatus for active uptake of water or ions is located in various cell membranes, the absorbed molecules must first pass through the cuticle which lines the rectal epithelium. Most cuticle (e.g. abdominal) has been shown to be permeable only to molecules soluble ...

Altlhoughl cutimize(d tissue in some forlmi is the first harrier to the entrv of chemicals into plants, dlirect measurements of the permeability properties of cuticular membranes are limited aandl qualitative (1, 5 ). Froml clirect miieasuremleints oin isolated cuiticle Skoss (9 ) has reported that Eniglish ivy leaf cuticle is relativelv illmpermleable to w ater, aandl that lemloni leaf cuticle...

It is accepted that the papilionaceous corolla of the Fabaceae evolved under the selective pressure of bee pollinators. Morphology and function of different parts of Coronilla emerus L. flowers were related to their role in the pollination mechanism. The corolla has a vexillum with red nectar lines, a keel hiding stamens and pistil, and two wing petals fasten to the keel with two notched folds....