Cuticle

 ( Animal Anatomy ) 

A cuticle (), or cuticula, is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticle" are non-homologous, differing in their origin, structure, function, and chemical composition.

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Human anatomy In human anatomy, "cuticle" can refer to several structures, but it is used in general parlance, and even by medical professionals, to refer to the thickened layer of skin surrounding fingernails and toenails (the eponychium), and to refer to the superficial layer of overlapping cells covering the hair shaft (cuticula pili), consisting of dead cells, that locks the hair into its hair follicle. It can also be used as a synonym for the epidermis, the outer layer of skin.

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Cuticle of invertebrates In zoology, the invertebrate cuticle or cuticula is a multi-layered structure outside the epidermis of many invertebrates, notably and nematode, in which it forms an exoskeleton (see arthropod exoskeleton).

The main structural components of the nematode cuticle are , highly cross-linked and specialised insoluble proteins known as "cuticlins", together with and .

The main structural component of arthropod cuticle is chitin, a polysaccharide composed of N-acetylglucosamine units, together with proteins and lipids. The proteins and chitin are cross-linked. The rigidity is a function of the types of proteins and the quantity of chitin. It is believed that the epidermal cells produce protein and also monitor the timing and amount of protein to be incorporated into the cuticle."insect physiology" The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science of Technology, Vol. 9, p. 233, 2007

Often, in the cuticle of arthropods, structural coloration is observed, produced by nanostructures. In the mealworm beetle, Mealworm, cuticular color may suggest pathogen resistance in that darker individuals are more resistant to pathogens compared to more tan individuals.

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Botany In botany, are protective, hydrophobic, coverings produced by the epidermal cells of leaves, young shoots and all other aerial plant organs. Cuticles minimize water loss and effectively reduce pathogen entry due to their waxy secretion. The main structural components of are the unique cutin or cutan, impregnated with wax. Plant cuticles function as permeability barriers for water and water-soluble materials. They prevent plant surfaces from becoming wetting and also help to prevent plants from drying out. Xerophytic plants such as cacti have very thick cuticles to help them survive in their arid climates. Plants that live in range of sea's spray also may have thicker cuticles that protect them from the toxic effects of salt.

Some plants, particularly those adapted to life in damp or aquatic environments, have an extreme resistance to wetting. A well-known example is the Nelumbo nucifera.Quere, D.; Surface chemistry. Fakir droplets, Nature Materials 2002, 1, 14. This adaptation is not purely the physical and chemical effect of a waxy coating but depends largely on the microscopic shape of the surface. When a hydrophobic surface is sculpted into microscopic, regular, elevated areas, sometimes in fractal patterns, too high and too closely spaced for the surface tension of the liquid to permit any flow into the space between the plateaus, then the area of contact between liquid and solid surfaces may be reduced to a small fraction of what a smooth surface might permit. The effect is to reduce wetting of the surface substantially.Von Baeyer, H. C., "The lotus effect", The Sciences, 2000, January/February, 12

Structural coloration is also observed in the cuticles of plants (see, as an example, the so-called "marble berry", Pollia condensata.

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Mycology "Cuticle" is one term used for the outer layer of tissue of a mushroom's basidiocarp, or "fruit body". The alternative term "pileipellis", Latin for "skin" of a "cap" (meaning "mushroom"

Edmund C. Jaeger (2025). 9780398061791, Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. . ISBN 9780398061791

) might be technically preferable, but is perhaps too cumbersome for popular use. It is the part removed in "peeling" mushrooms. On the other hand, some morphological terminology in mycology makes finer distinctions, such as described in the article on the "pileipellis". Be that as it may, the pileipellis (or "peel") is distinct from the trama, the inner fleshy tissue of a mushroom or similar fruiting body, and also from the spore-bearing tissue layer, the hymenium.

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