Cutin Cutin

Cutin - Definition

Cutin is a waxy substance which is a component of cuticle at the surface of leaves in plants. It consists of fatty acids and their derivatives which form ester bonds.

There are two major monomer families of cutin, C16 and C18-families. The C16 family consists mainly of 16-hydroxypalmitate and 9,16 or 10,16-dihydroxypalmitate. The C18 family consists mainly of 18-hydroxyoleate, 9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxystearate, and 9,10,18-trihydroxystearate.

Cutin is sometimes confused with suberin.

Copyright 2009 WordIQ.com - Privacy Policy  :: Terms of Use  :: Contact Us  :: About Us
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the this Wikipedia article.