Cutin is one of two waxy polymers that are the main components of the plant cuticle, which covers all aerial surfaces of plants, the other being cutan.
Cutin also harbors cuticular waxes, which assist in cuticle structure.
[1] Cutan, the other major cuticle polymer, is much more readily preserved in fossil records.
[2] Cutin consists of omega hydroxy acids and their derivatives, which are interlinked via ester bonds, forming a polyester polymer of indeterminate size.
This plant physiology article is a stub.