biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

, a theca (: thecae) is a sheath or a covering.

Botany

botany Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

, the theca is related to plant's flower anatomy. The theca of an

angiosperm Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit ...

consists of a pair of microsporangia that are adjacent to each other and share a common area of dehiscence called the stomium. Larry Hufford, "The origin and early evolution of angiosperm stamens" i
''The Anther: form, function, and phylogeny''
William G. D'Arcy and Richard C. Keating (editors),

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press was the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted a letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it was the oldest university press in the world. Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessme ...

, 1996, 351pp, p.60, (from

Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical charac ...

) Any part of a microsporophyll that bears microsporangia is called an

anther The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

. Most anthers are formed on the apex of a filament. An anther and its filament together form a typical (or filantherous)

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

, part of the male floral organ. The typical anther is bilocular, i.e. it consists of two thecae. Each theca contains two microsporangia, also known as pollen sacs. The microsporangia produce the

microspore Microspores are land plant spores that develop into male gametophytes, whereas megaspores develop into female gametophytes. The male gametophyte gives rise to sperm cells, which are used for fertilization of an egg cell to form a zygote. Megaspo ...

s, which for seed plants are known as

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm ...

grains. If the pollen sacs are not adjacent, or if they open separately, then no thecae are formed. In Lauraceae, for example, the pollen sacs are spaced apart and open independently. The tissue between the

locule A locule (: locules) or loculus (; : loculi) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usually refers to a chamber within an ovary ...

s and the cells is called the ''connective'' and the

parenchyma upright=1.6, Lung parenchyma showing damage due to large subpleural bullae. Parenchyma () is the bulk of functional substance in an animal organ such as the brain or lungs, or a structure such as a tumour. In zoology, it is the tissue that ...

. Both pollen sacs are separated by the stomium. When the anther is dehiscing, it opens at the stomium. The outer cells of the theca form the

epidermis The epidermis is the outermost of the three layers that comprise the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and Subcutaneous tissue, hypodermis. The epidermal layer provides a barrier to infection from environmental pathogens and regulates the ...

. Below the epidermis, the somatic cells form the tapetum. These support the development of microspores into mature pollen grains. However, little is known about the underlying genetic mechanisms, which play a role in male sporo- and gametogenesis. The thecal arrangement of a typical stamen can be as follows: * Divergent: both thecae in line, and forming an acute angle with the filament * Transverse (or explanate): both thecae exactly in line, at right angles with the filament * Oblique: the thecae fixed to each other in an oblique way * Parallel: the thecae fixed to each other in a parallel way

Zoology

, the theca of follicle can also refer to the site of

androgen An androgen (from Greek ''andr-'', the stem of the word meaning ) is any natural or synthetic steroid hormone that regulates the development and maintenance of male characteristics in vertebrates by binding to androgen receptors. This includes ...

production in females. The theca of the spinal cord is called the thecal sac, and intrathecal injections are made there or in the subarachnoid space of the

skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...

. In human embryogenesis, the theca cells form a

corpus luteum The corpus luteum (Latin for "yellow body"; : corpora lutea) is a temporary endocrine structure in female ovaries involved in the production of relatively high levels of progesterone, and moderate levels of estradiol, and inhibin A. It is the ...

after a Graafian follicle has expelled its secondary

oocyte An oocyte (, oöcyte, or ovocyte) is a female gametocyte or germ cell involved in reproduction. In other words, it is an immature ovum, or egg cell. An oocyte is produced in a female fetus in the ovary during female gametogenesis. The female ger ...

arrested in second

meiosis Meiosis () is a special type of cell division of germ cells in sexually-reproducing organisms that produces the gametes, the sperm or egg cells. It involves two rounds of division that ultimately result in four cells, each with only one c ...

. Thecal shape is also important in

graptolite Graptolites are a group of colonial animals, members of the subclass Graptolithina within the class Pterobranchia. These filter-feeding organisms are known chiefly from fossils found from the Middle Cambrian ( Miaolingian, Wuliuan) through t ...

and pterobranch taxonomy. In

dinoflagellate The Dinoflagellates (), also called Dinophytes, are a monophyletic group of single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata and are usually considered protists. Dinoflagellates are mostly marine plankton, but they are also commo ...

s that are armoured their covering is made up of thecal plates.

In other taxonomic groups

microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...

and planktology, a theca is a subcellular structural component out of which the frustules of

diatom A diatom (Neo-Latin ''diatoma'') is any member of a large group comprising several Genus, genera of algae, specifically microalgae, found in the oceans, waterways and soils of the world. Living diatoms make up a significant portion of Earth's B ...

s and

s are constructed.

References

Developmental biology Plant anatomy Plant physiology Pollination Animal anatomy Diatom biology Dinoflagellate biology {{plant-physiology-stub

Botany

Zoology

In other taxonomic groups

See also

References