melanophore

American

[muh-lan-uh-fawr, -fohr, mel-uh-nuh-] / məˈlæn əˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr, ˈmɛl ə nə- /

noun

Biology.

a pigmented connective-tissue cell containing melanin in its cytoplasm, responsible for color changes in many fishes and reptiles.

melanophore Scientific

/ mĕl′ə-nə-fôr′,mə-lăn′ə- /

A pigmented cell that contains melanin, found especially in the skin of fishes, amphibians, and reptiles.

Etymology

Origin of melanophore

First recorded in 1900–05; melano- + -phore

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Tiny packets of the dark dye melanin, for example, can be spread throughout the tendrils of big "melanophore" cells - or gathered into the centre, to lighten the skin again.

From BBC

The smaller frogs were recently metamorphosed as evidenced by the melanophore deposits above the vent.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023