scutellum
/skjʊˈtɛləm
/noun (plural scutella /skjʊˈtɛlə/) Botany & Zoology
1A small shield-like structure, in particular:
1.1A modified cotyledon in the embryo of a grass seed.Peptide transport activity appears in the scutellum of barley seeds after 6-12 h imbibition, before any visible signs of germination, and increases rapidly to a maximum around 24 h imbibition....
- Protein reserves in the cereal endosperm are sequentially degraded to small peptides and amino acids during germination and these are translocated across the scutellum to support growth of the embryo.
- The ENGase activity was almost equally distributed in the endosperm, the radicle and the scutellum.
1.2The third dorsal sclerite in each thoracic segment of an insect.In all these species, the broad arcuate viscidium firmly embraces the pollinator scutellum when the insect leaves the flower....
- The deposition of pollinaria on the scutellum of bees clearly enhances the chances of cross-pollination, since it is very difficult for these insects to groom and remove the pollinaria from this region.
- Then, the arcuate viscidium firmly embraces and adheres on the bee scutellum and the pollinarium is removed.
Derivatives
scutellar
- Two other cysteine proteases, EPA and EPB, with homology to mammalian cathepsin L, were also induced by GA in aleurones, and seemed to be expressed only in the seed scutellar epithelium and in aleurone layers upon germination.
- Seminal roots do not form a coleorhiza since the scutellar node tissue is already differentiated when seminal roots emerge and can easily be penetrated.
- The subcellular localization of these proteins to the plasma membrane was demonstrated by thiol-affinity labelling of high purity plasma membrane vesicles isolated from barley scutellar tissue.
scutellate
scutellation
Origin
Mid 18th century: modern Latin, diminutive of Latin scutum 'shield'.