Ramirez-Esquivel Fiorella, Ravi Sridhar
School of Engineering and Information Technology, University of New South Wales, Canberra, ACT 2612, Australia.
Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
iScience. 2023 Jun 24;26(7):107103. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107103. eCollection 2023 Jul 21.
The honeybee stinger is a powerful defense mechanism that combines painful venom, a subcutaneous delivery system, and the ability to autotomize. It is a complex organ and to function autonomously it must carry with it all the anatomical components required to operate. In this study, we combined high-speed filming, SEM imagery, and micro-CT for volumetric rendering of the stinger with a synthesis of existing literature. We present a comprehensive description of all components, including cuticular elements, musculature, nervous and glandular tissue using updated imagery. We draw from the Hymenoptera literature to make interspecific comparisons where relevant. The use of 3D reconstruction allows us to separate stinger components and present the first 3D renders of the bee stinger including the terminal abdominal ganglion and its projections. It also clarifies the geometry of the valves within the bulb and the spatial relationships among the accessory plates and accompanying musculature.
蜜蜂的螫针是一种强大的防御机制，它结合了疼痛的毒液、皮下输送系统以及自割的能力。它是一个复杂的器官，要自主发挥功能，必须携带所有操作所需的解剖结构。在本研究中，我们将高速拍摄、扫描电子显微镜图像和显微计算机断层扫描用于螫针的体积渲染，并综合了现有文献。我们使用更新后的图像对所有组成部分进行了全面描述，包括表皮成分、肌肉组织、神经和腺体组织。我们借鉴膜翅目文献在相关情况下进行种间比较。3D重建的使用使我们能够分离螫针组件，并呈现出包括腹部末端神经节及其投影在内的蜜蜂螫针的首张3D渲染图。它还阐明了球体内瓣膜的几何形状以及附属板与伴随肌肉组织之间的空间关系。
