A histochemical and morphological study of the mucus producing pedal gland system in Latia neritoides (Mollusca; Gastropoda; Hygrophila).

The freshwater gastropod Latia neritoides is endemic to the streams of New Zealand's North Island. This species has evolved a unique defence system: it exudes a luminescent mucus thought to deter predators. While the bioluminescence itself has been investigated before, the underlying gland system has remained unstudied and relevant information to understand the defence system has been missing till now.

Characterization of the Arion vulgaris pedal gland system.

The most common European gastropod species, Arion vulgaris, is one of the most troublesome pests for private garden owners and commercial agriculturists. The sticky and hard to remove secretion produced by these animals allows them to overcome most artificial and natural barriers. However, this highly adherent biopolymer has recently shown great potential for novel wound-healing applications in medicine.

Polymer Based Bioadhesive Biomaterials for Medical Application-A Perspective of Redefining Healthcare System Management.

This article deliberates about the importance of polymer-based bioadhesive biomaterials' medical application in healthcare and in redefining healthcare management. Nowadays, the application of bioadhesion in the health sector is one of the great interests for various researchers, due to recent advances in their formulation development. Actually, this area of study is considered as an active multidisciplinary research approach, where engineers, scientists (including chemists, physicists, biologists, and medical experts), material producers and manufacturers combine their knowledge in order to provide better healthcare.

Current State of Bone Adhesives-Necessities and Hurdles.

The vision of gluing two bone fragments with biodegradable and biocompatible adhesives remains highly fascinating and attractive to orthopedic surgeons. Possibly shorter operation times, better stabilization, lower infection rates, and unnecessary removal make this approach very appealing. After 30 years of research in this field, the first adhesive systems are now appearing in scientific reports that may fulfill the comprehensive requirements of bioadhesives for bone.

Biomechanical properties of fishing lines of the glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa (Diptera; Keroplatidae).

Animals use adhesive secretions in highly diverse ways, such as for settlement, egg anchorage, mating, active or passive defence, etc. One of the most interesting functions is the use of bioadhesives to capture prey, as the bonding has to be performed within milliseconds and often under unfavourable conditions. While much is understood about the adhesive and biomechanical properties of the threads of other hunters such as spiders, barely anything is documented about those of the New Zealand glowworm Arachnocampa luminosa.

The structure of the cutaneous pedal glands in the banded snail Cepaea hortensis (Müller, 1774).

Although gastropods have been crawling through the ocean and on the land for 60 million years, we still know very little about the sticky mucus produced in their foot. Most research has been focused on marine species in particular and, to a lesser extent, on the well-known terrestrial species Arion vulgaris and Cornu aspersum. Within this study, we aim to characterize the foot anatomy of a smaller representative of the family Helicidae, the banded snail Cepaea hortensis.

Chemical characterization of the adhesive secretions of the salamander Plethodon shermani (Caudata, Plethodontidae).

Salamanders have developed a wide variety of antipredator mechanisms, including tail autotomy, colour patterns, and noxious skin secretions. As an addition to these tactics, the red-legged salamander (Plethodon shermani) uses adhesive secretions as part of its defensive strategy. The high bonding strength, the fast-curing nature, and the composition of the biobased materials makes salamander adhesives interesting for practical applications in the medical sector.

Snail mucus - glandular origin and composition in Helix pomatia.

Apart from their well-known culinary use, gastropod species such as Helix, which have a hydrogel-like mucus, are increasingly being exploited for cosmetic, bioengineering and medical applications. However, not only are the origin and composition of these "sticky" secretions far from being fully characterized, the number and morphology of the mucus glands involved is also uncertain. This study aims to characterize in detail the cutaneous glands of the Helix pomatia foot on morphological, histochemical and immunohistochemical levels.

Salamanders on the bench - A biocompatibility study of salamander skin secretions in cell cultures.

Salamanders have evolved a wide variety of antipredator mechanisms and behavior patterns, including toxins and noxious or adhesive skin secretions. The high bonding strength of the natural bioadhesives makes these substances interesting for biomimetic research and applications in industrial and medical sectors. Secretions of toxic species may help to understand the direct effect of harmful substances on the cellular level.

Characterization of the Fishing Lines in Titiwai (=Arachnocampa luminosa Skuse, 1890) from New Zealand and Australia.

Animals use adhesive secretions in a plethora of ways, either for attachment, egg anchorage, mating or as either active or passive defence. The most interesting function, however, is the use of adhesive threads to capture prey, as the bonding must be performed within milliseconds and under unsuitable conditions (movement of prey, variable environmental conditions, unfavourable attack angle, etc.) to be nonetheless successful.

Characterization of the adhesive dermal secretion of Euprymna scolopes Berry, 1913 (Cephalopoda).

Bio-adhesion is a common and crucial process in nature and is used by several different species for camouflage, prey capture, hatching or to avoid drifting. Four genera of cephalopods belonging to four different families (Euprymna, Sepiolidae; Idiosepius, Idiosepiidae; Nautilus, Nautilidae; and Sepia, Sepiidae) produce glue for temporary attachment. Euprymna species live in near-shore benthic habitats of the Indo-Pacific Ocean, are nocturnal and bury into the seafloor during the day.

Morphological characterization of the glandular system in the salamander Plethodon shermani (Caudata, Plethodontidae).

Amphibians have evolved a wide variety of mechanisms that provide a certain degree of protection against predators, including camouflage, tail autonomy, encounter behavior and noxious or toxic skin secretions. In addition to these strategies, some amphibians release a glue-like secretion onto the surface of their skin when threatened. While some information regarding the origin and production of these adhesive secretions is available for frogs such as Notaden bennetti, these aspects are only partially understood in salamanders.

The chemistry of stalked barnacle adhesive (Lepas anatifera).

The results of the first chemical analysis of the adhesive of Lepas anatifera, a stalked barnacle, are presented. A variety of elements were identified in scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) of the adhesive, including Na, Mg, Ca, Cl, S, Al, Si, K and Fe; however, protein-metal interactions were not detected in Raman spectra of the adhesive. Elemental signatures from SEM-EDS of L.

Alterations in the mantle epithelium during transition from hatching gland to adhesive organ of Idiosepius pygmaeus (Mollusca, Cephalopoda).

Epithelial gland systems play an important role in marine molluscs in fabricating lubricants, repellents, fragrances, adhesives or enzymes. In cephalopods the typically single layered epithelium provides a highly dynamic variability and affords a rapid rebuilding of gland cells. While the digestive hatching gland (also named Hoyle organ) is obligatory for most cephalopods, only four genera (Nautilus, Sepia, Euprymna and Idiosepius) produce adhesive secretions by means of glandular cells in an adhesive area on the mantle or tentacles.

Biochemical analyses of the cement float of the goose barnacle Dosima fascicularis--a preliminary study.

The goose barnacle Dosima fascicularis produces an excessive amount of adhesive (cement), which has a double function, being used for attachment to various substrata and also as a float (buoy). This paper focuses on the chemical composition of the cement, which has a water content of 92%. Scanning electron microscopy with EDX was used to measure the organic elements C, O and N in the foam-like cement.

Morphology of the cement apparatus and the cement of the buoy barnacle Dosima fascicularis (Crustacea, Cirripedia, Thoracica, Lepadidae).

Barnacles produce a proteinaceous adhesive called cement to attach permanently to rocks or to other hard substrata. The stalked barnacle Dosima fascicularis is of special interest as it produces a large amount of foam-like cement that can be used as a float. The morphology of the cement apparatus and of the polymerized cement of this species is almost unknown.

Unusual adhesive production system in the barnacle Lepas anatifera: an ultrastructural and histochemical investigation.

Adhesives that are naturally produced by marine organisms are potential sources of inspiration in the search for medical adhesives. Investigations of barnacle adhesives are at an early stage but it is becoming obvious that barnacles utilize a unique adhesive system compared to other marine organisms. The current study examined the fine structure and chemistry of the glandular system that produces the adhesive of the barnacle Lepas anatifera.

Old and sticky-adhesive mechanisms in the living fossil Nautilus pompilius (Mollusca, Cephalopoda).

Nautiloidea is the oldest group within the cephalopoda, and modern Nautilus differs much in its outer morphology from all other recent species; its external shell and pinhole camera eye are the most prominent distinguishing characters. A further unique feature of Nautilus within the cephalopods is the lack of suckers or hooks on the tentacles. Instead, the animals use adhesive structures present on the digital tentacles.

Characterization of the adhesive areas in Sepia tuberculata (Mollusca, Cephalopoda).

Adhesion in cephalopods is either mechanical, involving a reduced-pressure system of the arm and tentacle suckers, or is chemically mediated by special adhesive gland structures (as proposed for Euprymna, Idiosepius, and Nautilus). Four species of Sepia (S. typica, S.

Adhesive mechanisms in cephalopods: a review.

Several genera of cephalopods (Nautilus, Sepia, Euprymna and Idiosepius) produce adhesive secretions, which are used for attachment to the substratum, for mating and to capture prey. These adhesive structures are located in different parts of the body, viz. in the digital tentacles (Nautilus), in the ventral surface of the mantle and fourth arm pair (Sepia), in the dorsal epidermis (Euprymna), or in the dorsal mantle side and partly on the fins (Idiosepius).