scutoid

A geometrical solid described as a mix between a frustum and a prismatoid.

A scutoid can be regarded as a prism that is truncated at one or more vertices, with faces and edges sized such that suitably oriented copies of said scutoid can be arranged to fully pack the space between two planes.

As a consequence, epithelial cells adopt a novel shape that we term “scutoid”.[…]Using biophysical arguments, we propose that scutoids make possible the minimization of the tissue energy and stabilize three-dimensional packing.

Alternative letter-case form of Scutoid, a genetic mutation in Drosophila melanogaster

An induced genetic mutation in the fly Drosophila melanogaster.

Mapping close to the structural gene for alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) on chromosome arm 2L of Drosophila melanogaster is the dominant mutation Scutoid (Sco).

Two independent lines of research led to the finding that the dominant Scutoid (Sco) mutation causes a diminshed extracellular electroantennogram response to the odorants ethyl acetate (EtAC) and acetone (AC).

An individual fly with the genetic mutation.

Here have found that snail is ectopically expressed in the eye-antennal and wing imaginal discs in Scutoid larvae, and that this expression is reduced in Scutoid revertants.

The gene affected by the mutation in D. melanogaster, or analogous genes in other species.

A mutation in scutoid is also known to affect the orientation of mechanosensory bristles of the eye (Birkholz et al. 2009).