Stylet (anatomy)

For other uses, see Stylet (disambiguation).

A stylet is a hard, sharp, anatomical structure found in some invertebrates. For example, the word stylet or stomatostyle is used for the primitive piercing mouthparts of some nematodes[1] and some nemerteans. In these groups the stylet is a hardened protrusible opening to the stomach.

The mouthparts of tardigrades and aphids[2] are also called stylets.

The stylet is adapted for the piercing of cell walls, and usually functions by providing the operative organism with access to the nutrients contained within the prey cell.

References

  1. ↑ "Digestive System". Nemaplex- The Nematode-Plant Expert Information System. Department of Nematology, University of California, Davis. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. ↑ W. Allen Miller, Steven A. Whitham (2013), "Plant viruses", in David M. Knipe, Peter Howley (eds), Fields Virology (6th ed.), Wolters Kluwer, p. 2311, ISBN 9781451105636
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