Abstract
THE shell in the Lamellibranchia consists of a number of distinct layers which show a fundamental similarity in structure in related regions of valve and ligament1. In Anodonta, all parts of the shell, except the periostracum and the fusion and outer layers of the ligament, are calcified and contain a non-calcareous matrix, termed conchiolin, which in sections possesses characteristic staining properties. Conchiolin of the inner layers of valve and ligament stains typically with basic dyes, outer layer conchiolin predominantly with acid dyes, and fully-formed periostracum and fusion layer usually remain uncoloured.
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BEEDHAM, G. Properties of the Non-Calcareous Material in the Shell of Anodonta cygnea . Nature 174, 750 (1954). https://doi.org/10.1038/174750a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/174750a0
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