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KMID : 0381920090390020157
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Korean Journal of Microscopy
2009 Volume.39 No. 2 p.157 ~ p.165
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Fine Structure of the Silk Spinning Apparatus in the Spider Nurscia albofasciata
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Abstract
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Here we demonstrate the fine structural characteristics of the spigots on the cribellum and its peculiar sieve-like structure at the aspects of the functional significance. The surface of the cribellum is covered by hundred of tiny spigots which producing numerous cribellate silk fibrils. It has been known that the cribellar silk is considered as a quite different sort of catching silk with dry-adhesive properties. By our fine structural observation using the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), the titanoecid spiders have a specialized sieve-like plate just in front of the anterior spinnerets. The other types of the silk spigots were identified as follows: ampullate, pyriform and aciniform glands. Two pairs of major ampullate glands send secretory ductules to the anterior spinnerets, and another 1~2 pairs of minor ampullate glands supply the median spinnerets. In addition, the pyriform glands send ductules to the anterior spinnerets, and the aciniform glands feed silk into the median and the posterior spinnerets, respectively. Characteristically, 2 distinct types (A & B types) of the aciniform spigots were identified in this spider, and the spigots of the aciniform B type are always detected at the posterior spinneret, however sexual dimorphism for spigot is unlikely to be exhibited in this species of spider.
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KEYWORD
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Fine structure, Silk, Spider, Spigot, Nurscia albofasciata
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