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A quantitative and morphological study of the pigmentary system of the chimpanzee with the light and electron microscope
Author(s) -
Post Peter W.,
Szabó George,
Keeling M. E.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330430325
Subject(s) - electron microscope , materials science , optics , physics
The epidermal melanocyte system of the chimpanzee was studied by the combined skin‐splitting DOPA, and electron microscopic techniques. It is very similar to man. There are DOPA‐positive epidermal melanocytes in all body regions regardless of the degree of macroscopic skin pigmentation or hirsutism. Furthermore, as in man, but in contrast to rodents, chimpanzee skin contains a very high level of melanocytes in the epidermis; approximately 3,320 ± 350 per square millimeter skin. Chimpanzee melanosomes are long, wide, and fully melanized. In keratinocytes, these organelles are individually dispersed in all body regions, regardless of the degree of skin color, as is true for other mammalian species with large melanosomes.