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Silk secretion in sawflies
Author(s) -
Kenchington W.
Publication year - 1969
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.1051270306
Subject(s) - biology , duct (anatomy) , secretion , silk , microbiology and biotechnology , sawfly , intracellular , anatomy , cell type , nucleus , larva , cell , botany , biochemistry , computer science , operating system
The serigenous glands of a number of different sawfly larvae have been examined. Silk is secreted by pear‐shaped cells which may be fused together in pairs or triplets, or exist simply as free, single cells. The cells are arranged in numerous groups attached to a pair of wide silk reservoirs by means of short canals. Each gland cell contains a large, irregular, ramifying nucleus and an intracellular duct which receives droplets of synthesised silk protein. Two modifications of this basic arrangement are described. It is suggested that the secretory cells are dermal gland cells, and that the intracellular duct is a rudimentary end‐apparatus. A comparison is made between these and some other types of dermal gland cell found in insects.