Dictionary:
cu·ti·cle (kyū'tĭ-kəl)  |
[Latin cutīcula, diminutive of cutis, skin.]
cuticular cu·tic'u·lar (-tĭk'yə-lər) adj.| 5min Related Video: cuticle |
| Dental Dictionary: cuticle |
The outer layer of the skin. Also, a layer that covers the free surface of an epithelial cell.
| Veterinary Dictionary: cuticle |
1. a layer of more or less solid substance covering the free surface of an epithelial cell.
2. the narrow band of epidermis extending from the wall of the nail or claw, onto the surface; called also eponychium.
3. the layer of cells on the surface of a hair shaft or wool fiber. In wool it is the projection of the edge of cuticular plates that gives the fiber its unique felting property.
4. an extremely thin, transparent, proteinaceous covering over the eggshell of bird's eggs. It may contain pigment and is permeable to gases.
| Gardener's Dictionary: cuticle |
The waxy surface that reduces water loss from a leaf, evident on, for example, the leaves of rhododendrons and laurels.
| Wikipedia: Cuticle |
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A cuticle (pronounced /ˈkjuːtɪkəl/), or cuticula, is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Cuticles are non-homologous, differing in their origin, structure and chemical composition.
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In human anatomy, cuticle (also called eponychium) refers to several structures. It refers to the dead layers of epidermal cells or keratinocytes that produce the horn protein keratin, to the strip of dead skin cells at the base and sides of the fingernail, to the eponychium, and also to the superficial layer of overlapping cells covering the hair shaft (cuticula pili) that locks the hair into its follicle.
In zoology, the invertebrate cuticle or cuticula is a multi-layered structure outside the epidermis of many invertebrates, notably roundworms[1] and arthropods, in which it forms an exoskeleton (see arthropod exoskeleton).
The main structural components of the nematode cuticle are proteins, highly cross-linked collagens and specialised insoluble proteins known as "cuticlins", together with glycoproteins and lipids.[2]
The main structural component of arthropod cuticle is a polysaccharide, chitin, composed of N-acetylglucosamine units, together with proteins and lipids.
In botany, plant cuticles are protective, hydrophobic, waxy coverings produced by the epidermal cells of leaves, young shoots and all other aerial plant organs. Cuticles minimize water loss and effectively reduce pathogen entry due to their waxy secretion.
The main structural components of plant cuticles are the unique polymers cutin and/or cutan, impregnated with wax.
The cuticles of plants function as permeability barriers for water and water-soluble materials. The cuticle both prevents plant surfaces from becoming wet and helps to prevent plants from drying out. Xerophytic plants such as cactus have very thick cuticles to help them survive in their arid climates. Plants that live in range of sea's spray also tend to have thicker cuticles, to protect them from the toxic effects of salt.
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| Translations: Cuticle |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - neglebånd, overhud
Nederlands (Dutch)
nagelriem, opperhuid
Français (French)
n. - cuticule
Deutsch (German)
n. - Epidermis, Nagelhaut
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυσιολ.) επιδερμίδα, νεκρό δέρμα (κν. πετσάκι)
Português (Portuguese)
n. - cutícula (f)
Español (Spanish)
n. - cutícula
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - ytterhud, hinna, nagelband
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
表皮
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 表皮
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) جلد صلب في منبت الظفر
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - עור קרני (בציפורן)
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Gardener's Dictionary. Taylor's Dictionary for Gardeners, by Frances Tenenbaum. Copyright © 1997 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cuticle". Read more |
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| Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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