sclerotin

sclerotin
/sklear"euh tin, skler"-/, n. Biochem.
an insoluble protein that serves to stiffen the chitin of the cuticle of arthropods.
[1935-40; < Gk sklerót(es) hardness + -IN2]

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▪ biological pigment
      a dark-brown biological pigment formed by an enzyme-catalyzed tanning of protein. Sclerotin is found in the cuticle (external covering) and egg cases of insects, the body shell (carapace) of certain crustaceans, and the bristles of terrestrial and marine worms. Sclerotin not only darkens the cuticle of insects, thus contributing to the shielding of injurious light rays, as does melanin, but also effects a distinct protective hardening of the cuticular protein.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Sclerotin — is a mixture of protein substances that forms the cuticles of insects. It provides physical toughness to the insect s chitinous exoskeleton. [cite book first=Alexander B. | last=Klots | coauthors=Klots Elise B. year=1977 | title=1001 Questions… …   Wikipedia

  • sclerotin — noun Etymology: probably scler + tin (as in chitin) Date: 1940 an insoluble tanned protein permeating and stiffening the chitin of the cuticle of arthropods …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • sclerotin — n. [Gr. skleros, hard] (ARTHROPODA) A colorless or quinone tanned amber or brown material occurring in the cuticle that accounts for much of the stiffening of the surface structures; sclerotic adj …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • sclerotin — noun the crosslinked protein component of the cuticles of insects …   Wiktionary

  • sclerotin — [ sklɪərətɪn, sklɛ ] noun Biochemistry a structural protein which forms the cuticles of insects and is hardened and darkened by a natural tanning process. Origin 1940s: from sclero , on the pattern of keratin …   English new terms dictionary

  • sclerotin — scle·ro·tin …   English syllables

  • sclerotin — scle•ro•tin [[t]ˈsklɪər ə tɪn, ˈsklɛr [/t]] n. biochem. an insoluble protein that serves to stiffen the chitin of the cuticle of arthropods • Etymology: 1940; sclero + tin, extracted from chitin, keratin, etc …   From formal English to slang

  • sclerotin — ˈsklirətə̇n, ler noun ( s) Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary sclerot (from Greek sklērotēs hardness) + in : an insoluble tanned protein permeating and stiffening the chitin of the cuticle of arthropods …   Useful english dictionary

  • integument — /in teg yeuh meuhnt/, n. 1. a natural covering, as a skin, shell, or rind. 2. any covering, coating, enclosure, etc. [1605 15; < L integumentum a covering. See IN 2, TEGUMENT] Syn. 1. cortex, involucre, involucrum. * * * Covering of the body,… …   Universalium

  • flatworm — /flat werrm /, n. any worm of the phylum Platyhelminthes, having bilateral symmetry and a soft, solid, usually flattened body, including the planarians, tapeworms, and trematodes; platyhelminth. [1895 1900; FLAT1 + WORM] * * * or platyhelminth… …   Universalium

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