Chromatophore, light micrograph
Chromatophore, light micrograph. Two chromatophores of the skin of the melanophore class located in the dermis below the superficial epidermis seen at the top. Thousands of pigment granules of melanin are in the cell body and also dispersed into the cytoplasmic extensions. The cell nuclei are stained blue. These cells are very large, the cell body 50-70 micrometres and the extensions up to 100 micrometres. Melanophores are found in the skin of animals that use colour for camouflage (reptiles, fish, amphibians, cephalopods) and absorb light giving brown/black colouration. Surrounding the cells are many layers of plaques of iridophore cells with tiny bluish-green refractile crystalloids that give blue colourations to the skin. Epoxy resin section. Toluidine blue stain. Magnification: x900 when printed at 10cm.
Size: 4488px × 3365px
Location:
Photo credit: © MICROSCAPE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, biological, biology, cell, chromatophore, colour, dermis, histological, histology, iridophore, light, lm, melanin, melanophore, micrograph, microscopy, pigment, skin
