Three dimensional structure of the endochorion in wild type Drosophila melanogaster.

The endochorion of the Drosophila melanogaster eggshell has been isolated and its structure examined by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. In the main shell the thin inner endochorion (floor) shows small pits or pores and characteristic fenestrae crossed by irregular strands; vertical columns surrounded by air spaces separate this layer from the thick outer endochorion (roof) which is covered by a regular, external reticulum of thin fibers. The endochorion of the respiratory horns has sharply divided dorsal and ventral surfaces, with characteristic structures somewhat reminiscent of the floor and the external reticulum of the roof, respectively.