engleski

Morphological characteristics of lizard skin (Lacertilia, Squamata)

The aim of this paper is to synthesize information about morphological characteristics of skin in lizard species. The skin has many functions that are important for lizards to adapt to the environment. Their whole skin is covered with scales in various shapes and sizes. Often, their appearance is similar to the lizard habitats. The lizard skin has two main layers, the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is characterised by a complete keratin covering and it consists of three layers: a basal, granular and cornified cell layer. The basal layer consists of a layer of cuboidal cells that lie on the basement membrane. The granular layer consists of several layers of flattened cells with a lipid-rich film. The cornified layer consists of: an alpha-keratin layer, mesos, beta-keratin layer and Oberhäutchen layer. The epidermis is separated from the dermis by a basement membrane. The dermis is the connective tissue layer that lies beneath the epidermis. In some lizard species, osteoderms can be found here as well as chromatophores. The lizard skin is shed periodically and in smaller pieces. During this period, the skin morphology goes through some morphological changes.

reptiles ; lizards ; skin ; histology

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