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Figure 6
Reconstruction of the sublamellar Bouligand structure in cuticle from experimental data. (a) Fibre orientation in the Bouligand structure, calculated using the diffraction model. The fibre orientation is determined by the tilt angles (α, β), and the oblate ellipsoids' degree of elongation is inversely proportional to fibril misalignment. The enlargements show the chitin fibrils in the exocuticle and endocuticle. The schematic diagram at the bottom shows the direction and geometry of the sample. (b) Angular width distribution wμ(110) for the (110) reflection calculated from the azimuthal intensity. (c) Distribution of the lattice spacing d(110). (d) Width of the radial peak σ(110). (e) Radial intensity I(110) of the (110) reflection. Red rectangles outline sections in the exocuticle. The X-ray scan was performed in the middle of the cross section of the sample in L3 geometry, covering the full cuticle thickness. Scan range ∼150 µm along the width and ∼300 µm along the thickness. Step size 7 µm in the width direction and 3 µm in the thickness direction.

IUCrJ
Volume 13| Part 1| January 2026| Pages 63-76
ISSN: 2052-2525
https://doi.org/10.1107/S2052252525009686