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Stage specific larval, pupal, and adult cuticles in the tracheal system of Sarcophaga bullata
Author(s) -
Whitten Joan M.
Publication year - 1976
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.1051500209
Subject(s) - biology , cuticle (hair) , ultrastructure , pupa , polytene chromosome , larva , anatomy , epithelium , microbiology and biotechnology , salivary gland , cell type , cell , botany , drosophila melanogaster , biochemistry , genetics , gene
Successive tracheal cuticles of the dorsal longitudinal trunks are studied with the electron microscope. Minor differences seen at the light microscope level are seen as major qualitative and quantitative ones at the ultrastructural level. The larval and pupal cuticles are secreted by similar epithelial cells; these possess large polytene chromosomes. Cell division and possibly cell replacement occur prior to adult cuticle secretion. The findings are discussed in terms of cell specificity, intra‐ and inter‐cellular pattern formation. This simple epithelium, the individual cells of which are capable of producing different cuticles, is interesting since the system is also shown to be responsive to hormone application.