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Science 15 January 1965:
Vol. 147. no. 3655, pp. 295 - 298
DOI: 10.1126/science.147.3655.295
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Articles

Permeability of Insect Cuticle to Water and Lipids

Michael Locke 1

1 Department of Biology, Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

Insect cuticle presents a paradox: permeability to water may vary at different times, while lipids penetrate readily. Electron microscopy shows that the epicuticle is penetrated by filaments of wax 60 to 130 Å in diameter. These are believed to be lipid-water liquid crystals in the middle phase. The variable permeability to water, and other properties of the cuticle, may be due to phase changes.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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E. B. Edney (1967)
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