TU Dresden, Germany
“Chitin fibre orientation in arthropod cuticle – how is it controlled and what for?”
Abstract
Chitin fiber orientation in the arthropod cuticle is regulated locally by the animal. Typically parallel fiber organisation and rotated ply wood structures are commonly observed fibre arrangement microstructures. The orientation of fibers in the cuticle has direct impact for its physical properties, e.g. mechanical and optical properties. In the talk I will describe a few examples demonstrating the impact of fiber orientation on the cuticle properties, and address the question of how it is achieved by the organisms.