🌿 Naturepublished 2w ago
Chameleons change color by rearranging nanocrystals, not shifting pigments
For generations, scientists believed chameleons altered their color by dispersing dark pigments inside specialized skin cells. In 2015, biophysicists discovered the real mechanism: panther chameleons manipulate living photonic crystals. Beneath their skin lies a lattice of microscopic guanine nanocrystals. By tightening or relaxing their skin cells, chameleons alter the space between these crystals, selectively reflecting different wavelengths of light to switch rapidly between camouflage greens, vibrant yellows, and warning reds.
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