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The structure of developing muscle insertions in insects
Author(s) -
LaiFook Joan
Publication year - 1967
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1051230411
Subject(s) - biology , arthropod cuticle , hemidesmosome , rhodnius prolixus , epidermis (zoology) , cuticle (hair) , anatomy , integument , ultrastructure , reduviidae , electron microscope , microtubule , membrane , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , hemiptera , insect , botany , biochemistry , physics , optics
The relationship between muscles and the components of the integument in muscle insertions have been studied with the electron microscope in two insects, Calpodes ethlius (Hesperiidae, Lepidoptera) and Rhodnius prolixus (Reduviidae, Hemiptera). The area of contact between the muscles and the epidermis is increased by interdigitating processes whose membranes are joined by intermediate junctions. The junctions occur at the level of a Z line so that actin filaments attach directly to them. Within the epidermis, microtubules extend from the junctions of the myoepidermal connection to the cuticle, where they attach to hemidesmosomes which line deep indentations of the membrane. The microtubules probably enable the tendinous epidermal cells to withstand the tensions exerted upon them by the muscles. The epidermis is anchored to the cuticle by tonofibrillae, homogeneous rods secreted in the deep indentations of the plasma membrane. Since the tonofibrillae of successive instars are continous, they penetrate and attach to the cuticulin, the outermost layer of the epicuticle.