Extracellular Composite Matrices in Arthropods

Editors: Cohen, Ephraim, Moussian, Bernard (Eds.)
For the first time this book compiles chapters comprehensively dealing with extracellular matrices in arthropods from exoskeleton components to glandular matrices such as silks and saliva
The unique mechanical properties of arthropod composite matrices have inspired and gained applicative uses in industrial and biomedical fields. The book will benefit people interested in this evolving area
Comprehensive contributions on extracellular composite matrices in arthropods

Emphasis is placed on the elaborate cuticular matrices in insects and crustaceans, spider and insect silks, sialomes of phytophagous and blood-feeding arthropods as well as on secretions of male and female accessory glands. Focus is placed largely on insects, due to the extensive body of published research that in part is the result of available whole genome sequences of several model species (in particular Drosophila melanogaster) and accessible ESTs for other species. Such advances have facilitated fundamental insights into genomic, proteomic and molecular biology-based physiology. This new volume contains comprehensive contributions on extracellular composite matrices in arthropods. The building blocks of such matrices are formed in and secreted by single layered epithelial cells into exterior domains where their final assembly takes place.Additionally, the unique mechanical properties of natural biocomposites like chitin/chitosan, the crustacean mineralized exoskeleton, the pliant protein resilin or insect and spider silks, have inspired basic and applied research that yield sophistical biomimetics and structural biocomposite hybrids important for future industrial and biomedical use. In summary, this book provides an invaluable vast source of basic and applied information for a plethora of scientists as well as textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate students.

Number of Illustrations and Tables
39 b/w illustrations, 83 illustrations in colour
Topics
Entomology
Molecular Ecology
Cell Biology
Developmental Biology
Animal Anatomy / Morphology / Histology



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