Skin of Fish Cross Section Under the Microscope
Skin of Fish (Cross Section), Cyprinus carpio
This is a section of fish skin stained with H&E. It shows that fish scales grow in the dermis and are covered by a living, mucus-making epidermis.
This cross section of carp (Cyprinus carpio) skin is stained with H&E. The thickest layer is the dermis, a wide band of dense pink connective tissue made of tightly packed collagen fibers. Thin sheets of tissue run along its outer side, and small black pigment cells called melanophores sit along its edges. These pigment cells give fish their dark colors and can help with camouflage. Below the dermis are bundles of skeletal muscle cut across, so students can see how the skin connects to the muscle that moves the fish.
What to look for
- Epidermis: The outer layer of several rows of cells with purple nuclei.
- Mucous (goblet) cells: Pale, rounded cells in the epidermis that make the slimy coating on fish.
- Dermis: Pink connective tissue under the epidermis.
- Scales: Thin bony plates sitting in pockets in the dermis.
- Pigment cells: Dark cells (chromatophores) in the dermis that give fish their color.
Questions and answers
What does fish skin look like under a microscope?
Fish skin has an outer epidermis with many pale mucus-making cells, over a dermis of pink connective tissue. The scales sit in pockets in the dermis, and dark pigment cells are scattered through it.
Why are fish slimy?
Mucous cells in the epidermis make a slimy coating. It helps fish glide through water and protects them from germs and parasites.
- Category
- Vertebrates
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- H&E
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