Getting Under a Camel’s Skin

What am I looking at?

These images are cross sections through the dermis layer of camel skin. You can see the hair follicles (1), with hair growing from them; subcutaneous (meaning under the skin) glands at the base of the hair follicles (2); and skin cells surrounding these follicles (3).

Biology in the background

Most camels live in the desert, where temperatures can reach almost 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). Their skin has evolved to allow them to withstand these temperatures in several ways. First, their skin is very thick – almost twice as thick as human skin – which helps them maintain a constant internal temperature. Second, they have large sweat glands that help lower their body temperature through evaporative cooling. Third, they have osmotic cells that store water within their skin to help keep it cool. Finally, they have a very thick coat of hair that traps cooler air and prevents the hot desert air from reaching their skin.

For a long time, the scientific community believed camels’ skin contained three types of subcutaneous glands that produce sebum – an oily substance made up of lipids, triglycerides, fatty acid breakdown products, etc. However, these images show there are more.

Each of these hair follicles is about 100 micrometers across, or slightly larger than the width of a human hair.

Technique

This image was created using a form of light microscopy called darkfield illumination.