Skin pattern structure and function of juvenile ages of Chameleo chameleon

Publication date: Available online 19 January 2017 Source:Egyptian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences Author(s): Yosra A. Fouda, Ahmed A. El Mansi Little is known about the skin structure of juvenile chameleon especially its sensory function of their integumentary structure. Fifteen juvenile Chameleo chameleon are collected from Abu Rawash, Northern area of Giza, Egypt during Summer of 2015. It is belong to the order Squamata, family, Chamaeleonidae. Three ages are used in the present study and categorized according to the morphological criteria of head, abdomen and limb lengths. Dorsal abdominal surfaces are covered with abdominal scales of varying sizes either conical or elliptical-structures, regularly arranged in rows and imbricated with each other. Each scale possessed one cylindrical lenticular epidermal sense organ containing heavy sensillia. Histologically, the scales are characterized by wider conical surfaces and intermingled with another one by hinge region. The epidermal layer of outer scale surface is composed of five-layered stratified squamous epithelium including the stratum germinativum, intermediate zone of stratum spinosum and granulosum, α-keratin layer, β-keratin layer and outer superficial Oberhaütchen. Melanosomes are abundant in the intermediate zone as well as in the peripheral dermal layer underneath stratum germinativum layer. The melanosomes possessed long cellular processes with their content of melanin granules underneath the epidermis....
Source: Egyptian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences - Category: Science Source Type: research