角质

角质，是蜡聚合物中的一种，是植物表皮两种主要成分中的一种，覆盖了植物与空气接触的表面。另一种聚合物是胶膜，较容易被保存在化石纪录中^[1]。角质主要由ω-羟基酸及其衍生物组成，其中单体之间是透过酯键连结，形成大小不一的聚酯聚合物。角质有两种主要的单体家族：C16和C18家族。C16家族主要包含16-羟基棕榈酸、9,16-或10,16-二羟基棕榈酸。C18家族主要包含18-羟基油酸、9,10-环氧-18-羟基硬脂酸和9,10,18-三羟基硬脂酸。^[2]

参考文献

^ Briggs, D.E.G. (1999), "Molecular taphonomy of animal and plant cuticles: selective preservation and diagenesis", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 354 (1379): 7–17, doi:10.1098/rstb.1999.0356
^ Holloway, PJ (1982). "The chemical constitution of plant cutins". In Cutler, DF, Alvin, KL and Price, CE (1982) The Plant Cuticle. Academic Press London, pp 45–85.

[1] Briggs, D.E.G. (1999), "Molecular taphonomy of animal and plant cuticles: selective preservation and diagenesis", Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 354 (1379): 7–17, doi:10.1098/rstb.1999.0356

[2] Holloway, PJ (1982). "The chemical constitution of plant cutins". In Cutler, DF, Alvin, KL and Price, CE (1982) The Plant Cuticle. Academic Press London, pp 45–85.

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