Figure 4: A new model for the permanent adhesion of barnacle cyprids.
From: Synergistic roles for lipids and proteins in the permanent adhesive of barnacle larvae
(a) A schematic of the sagittal section of the cement gland. A lipidaceous precursor material (l.p.) is released from the lipid granule-containing cells (orange) closest to the cement collecting duct. Subsequently, the contents of the protein granule-containing cells (blue) are released into the lipidaceous phase, already delivered to the surface. (b) A lipidaceous phase (orange) that surrounds the proteinaceous core (blue) of the adhesive plaque is the result, and is even present at the adhesive interface. (c) TPEFM isosurface rendered volume projection showing two individual cyprid cement plaques, each embedding a single antennule, labelled for proteins (blue) and lipids (brown). l.p., lipidaceous phase; p.p., proteinaceous phase. Schematics not drawn to scale. Scale bars, ~20 μm (c).
