CUTICLE

Cuticle

A cuticle, or cuticula, is a term used for any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticle" are non-homologous; differing in their origin, structure, function, and chemical composition.

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cuticle

Noun

  1. The outermost layer of the skin of vertebrates; the epidermis.
  2. The strip of hardened skin at the base and sides of a fingernail or toenail.
  3. Dead or cornified epidermis.
  4. A noncellular protective covering outside the epidermis of many invertebrates and plants.
  5. A thin skin formed on the surface of a liquid.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: cuticle
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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