What are chromatophores?
Q: What are chromatophores?
A: Chromatophores are pigment-containing and light-reflecting cells found in cold-blooded animals such as amphibians, fish, reptiles, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
Q: What is the function of chromatophores?
A: Chromatophores are largely responsible for generating skin and eye colour in cold-blooded animals. Some species can rapidly change colour so as to keep in camouflage, or to signal.
Q: How do chromatophores achieve physiological colour change?
A: Chromatophores achieve physiological colour change by moving pigment and reflective plates in their cells.
Q: What animal has complex chromatophore organs that are controlled by muscles to achieve physiological colour change?
A: Cephalopods such as octopus have complex chromatophore organs controlled by muscles to achieve physiological colour change.
Q: How is the display of physiological colour change under central nervous control in cephalopods?
A: In cephalopods, the display of physiological colour change is under central nervous control based usually on input from the eyes.
Q: How do vertebrates such as chameleons get a similar physiological colour change effect?
A: Vertebrates such as chameleons get a similar effect by cell signalling. Such signals can be hormones or neurotransmitters. They may be started by changes in mood, temperature, stress or visible changes around the animal.
Q: What may stimulate the start of physiological colour change in vertebrates?
A: Changes in mood, temperature, stress or visible changes around the animal may stimulate the start of physiological colour change in vertebrates.
