Microscopy from Scientific Research

A carbohydrate-rich glycocalyx layer produced by Hydra (image credit: Corvana/Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0]) acts both as a barrier and a nutrient source (green hexagon chains) for competing microbes (green rods). The glycocalyx layer of Hydra is analogous to mucins of the mammalian gut and is made of glycoproteins and glycolipids, which are secreted by ectodermal epithelial cells.

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