Skin color in vertebrates predominantly depends on the presence of
specialized cells that produce pigment. These special cells absorb or reflect light in a
specific way to impart color to the skin and are called as chromatophores.
Chromatophores are grouped into melanophores, erythrophores, xanthophores,
leucophores and iridophores which largely depend on the pigment they produce.
Melanophores are the most important type of chromatophores responsible for dorsal
pigmentation in many vertebrates including fishes, amphibians and reptiles. In birds
and mammals, melanophores are called melanocytes. All melanophores or melanocytes
store thousands of dark brown/black biopolymer pigment melanins, packaged into
membrane bound intra-cytoplasmic vesicles called as melanosomes. Melanophores or
melanocytes originated from the neural crest cells, induced by several extracellular
signals. Melanoblasts, precursor of melanocytes migrate, proliferate, differentiate and
spread to their final destination in the basal layer of epidermis and hair follicles,
however, distribution of melanocytes varies among different species. The embryonic
development of melanocytes offers an opportunity to better understand the concept of
vertebrate pigmentation. Thus the present chapter provides siginificant knowledge on
the vertebrate pigment cells from origin to different stages of their development.
Keywords: Chromatophores, Epidermis, Melanoblast, Melanocytes,
Melanophores, Neural crest cells.
