Tectin (secretion)

Tectin is an organic substance secreted by certain ciliates.{{Cite book| last = Hyman | first = Libbie Henrietta | author-link = Libbie Henrietta Hyman | title = The invertebrates: Protozoa through Ctenophora | publisher = McGraw-Hill | year = 1940 }}{{Cite journal| author = Hedley RH | title = Cement and iron in the arenaceious foraminifera | journal = Micropaleontology | volume = 9 | issue = 4 | pages = 433–441 | year = 1963 | doi = 10.2307/1484505 | publisher = The Micropaleontology Project, Inc.| jstor = 1484505 }}{{Cite journal| vauthors = Bermudes D, Hinkle G, Margulis L | title = Do prokaryotes contain microtubules? | journal = Microbiol. Rev. | volume = 58 | issue = 3 | pages = 387–400 | year = 1994 | doi = 10.1128/MR.58.3.387-400.1994 | pmid = 7968920 | url= | pmc = 372974 }}{{Cite journal | author = Dovgal IV | title = Evolution, phylogeny and classification of Suctorea (Ciliophora) | journal = Protistology | volume = 2 | issue = 4 | pages = 194–270 | year = 2002 | url = http://protistology.ifmo.ru/num2_4/ms2_4.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051231092501/http://protistology.ifmo.ru/num2_4/ms2_4.pdf | archive-date = 2005-12-31 }} Tectin may form an adhesive stalk, disc or other sticky secretion. Tectin may also form a gelatinous envelope or membrane enclosing some ciliates as a protective capsule or lorica. Tectin is also called pseudochitin. Granules or rods (called protrichocysts) in the pellicle of some ciliates are also thought to be involved in tectin secretion.