Cuticle

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Cuticle

In biology

Biology

Biology is a branch of the natural sciences concerned with the study of living organisms and their interaction with each other and their environment ....
, a cuticle or cuticula is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or part of an organism, that provide protection. They are non-homologous

Homology (biology)

In evolutionary biology, homology refers to any similarity between characteristics that is due to their common descent. The word homologous derives from the ancient Greek ??????e??, 'to agree'....
, differing in their origin, structure and chemical composition.

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Human anatomy

Human anatomy, which, with physiology and biochemistry, is a complementary basic medical science is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body....
, cuticle refers to several structures.

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Encyclopedia

In biology

Biology

Homology (biology)

Human anatomy

In human anatomy

Human anatomy

Epidermis (skin)

The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin, composed of terminally differentiated stratified squamous epithelium, acting as the body's major barrier against an inhospitable environment....
cells

Cell (biology)

The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known Life organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is often called the building bricks of life....
or keratinocytes that produce the horn

Horn (anatomy)

A horn is a pointed projection of the skin on the head of various mammals, consisting of a covering of horn surrounding a core of living bone....
protein

Protein

Proteins are organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid Residue ....
keratin

Keratin

Keratins are a family of fibrous protein; tough and insoluble, they form the hard but mineral structures found in reptiles, birds, amphibians and mammals....
, to the strip of dead skin

Skin

The skin is the outer covering of the body, also known as the epidermis. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial biological tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and organ s....
cells at the base and sides of the fingernail, to the eponychium

Eponychium

In human anatomy, the eponychium or cuticle is the thickened layer of skin surrounding nail . Beneath the cuticle is a thin layer of a membrane known as the pterygium....
, and also to the superficial layer of overlapping cells covering the hair

Hair

Hair is a protein filament that epidermal growth from hair follicle deep within the dermis. The fine, soft hair found on many nonhuman mammals is typically called fur; wool is the characteristically curly hair found on sheep and goats....
shaft (cuticula pili) that locks the hair into its follicle

Hair follicle

A hair follicle is part of the skin that grows hair by packing old Cell s together. Attached to the follicle is a sebaceous gland, a tiny sebum-producing gland found everywhere except on the hands, lips and soles of the feet....
.

Invertebrate zoology

In zoology

Zoology

Zoology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of animals. The most common pronunciation of "zoology" is ; however, an alternative pronunciation is ....
, the invertebrate

Invertebrate

An invertebrate is an animal lacking a vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal species ? all animals except those in the Chordate subphylum vertebrate ....
cuticle or cuticula is a multi-layered structure outside the epidermis

Epidermis (skin)

Nematode

The "roundworms" or "nematodes" are the most diverse phylum of body cavity, and one of the most diverse of all animals. Nematode species are very difficult to distinguish; over 80,000 have been described, of which over 15,000 are parasite....
s and arthropod

Arthropod

Arthropods are animals belonging to the Scientific classification Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others....
s, in which it forms an exoskeleton

Exoskeleton

An exoskeleton is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal endoskeleton of, for example, a human skeleton....
(see arthropod exoskeleton

Arthropod exoskeleton

Sorry, no overview for this topic
).

The main structural components of the nematode cuticle are protein

Protein

Collagen

Collagen is the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant protein in mammals, making up about 25% to 35% of the whole-body protein content....
s and specialised insoluble proteins known as "cuticlins", together with glycoprotein

Glycoprotein

Not to be confused with peptidoglycan or proteoglycan.Glycoproteins are proteins that contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to their Peptide side-chains....
s and lipid

Lipid

Lipids are broadly defined as any fat-soluble , naturally-occurring molecule, such as fats, oils, waxes, cholesterol, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins , monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others....
s.

The main structural component of arthropod cuticle is a polysaccharide

Polysaccharide

Polysaccharides are relatively complex carbohydrates. They are polymers made up of many monosaccharides joined together by glycosidic bonds. They are therefore very large, often branched, macromolecules....
, chitin

Chitin

Chitin n is a long-chain polymer of a N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose, and is found in many places throughout the natural world....
, composed of N-acetylglucosamine

N-Acetylglucosamine

N-Acetylglucosamine is a monosaccharide derivative of glucose. Chemically it is an amide between glucosamine and acetic acid. It has a molecular formula of carbon8hydrogen15nitrogenoxygen6, a molar mass of 221.21 g/mol, and it is significant in several biological systems....
units, together with proteins and lipids.

Botany

In botany

Botany

Botany, plant science, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of biology and is the Scientific method of plant life and development....
, plant cuticle

Plant cuticle

Plant cuticles are a protective waxy covering produced only by the Epidermis of leaf, young shoots and all other aerial plant organs without periderm....
s are protective wax

Wax

Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees and used by them in constructing their honeycombs.It is an imprecisely defined term generally understood to be a substance with properties similar to beeswax, namely...
y coverings produced by the epidermal cells of leaves, young shoots and all other aerial

Aerial

Aerial can mean:Devices*A Antenna .*Aerial apparatus, a device used for firefighting and rescue.*Aerial work platform, a device for positioning workers....
plant organs.

The main structural components of plant cuticle

Plant cuticle

Plant cuticles are a protective waxy covering produced only by the Epidermis of leaf, young shoots and all other aerial plant organs without periderm....
s are the unique polymer

Polymer

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units typically connected by covalent chemical bonds. While polymer in popular usage suggests plastic, the term actually refers to a large class of natural and synthetic materials with a variety of properties....
s cutin

Cutin

Cutin is one of two waxy polymers that are the main components of the plant cuticle which covers all aerial surfaces of plants. The other major cuticle polymer, which is much more readily taphonomy, is cutan....
and/or cutan

Cutan

Cutan is one of two polymers which occur in the plant cuticle of some plants. The other and better-known polymer is Cutin. Cutan is believed to be a hydrocarbon polymer, whereas cutin is a polyester, but the structure and synthesis of cutan are not yet fully understood....
, impregnated with wax

Wax

Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees and used by them in constructing their honeycombs.It is an imprecisely defined term generally understood to be a substance with properties similar to beeswax, namely...
.

The cuticles of plants function as permeability barriers for water and water-soluble materials. The cuticle both prevents plant surfaces from becoming wet

Wetting

Wetting is the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface, resulting from intermolecular interactions when the two are brought together....
and helps to prevent plants from drying out. Xerophytic plants such as cactus

Cactus

A cactus is any member of the spine plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas. They are often used as ornamental plants, but some are also Crop plants....
have very thick cuticles to help them survive in their arid climates. Plants that live in range of sea's spray also tend to have thicker cuticles, to protect them from the toxic effects of salt

Salt

A salt, in chemistry, is defined as the product formed from the neutralisation reaction of acids and base . Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically electric charge ....
.