Abstract
Insects are surrounded by an exoskeleton, the cuticle, a composite structure consisting of chitin filaments embedded in a protein matrix. The physical properties of cuticles vary according to the insect species and the body parts from which they are derived. This variability is mainly due to differences in the matrix proteins and in their secondary modifications (crosslinks). Recent progress is presented and discussed, showing that insects have been experts in developing structured materials which combine strength, flexibility and lightness, well adapted to their functions in the living animal.
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© 1988 Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd
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Andersen, S.O. (1988). Insect Cuticle as a Covalently Crosslinked Protein Network. In: Kramer, O. (eds) Biological and Synthetic Polymer Networks. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1343-1_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1343-1_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7097-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-1343-1
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