Fill in the Blanks How do chamaleons change colour?Online version An article about about why chamaleons change colour by Rafael Crego Herrera 1 combination up explanation like such to excited behind hence within according might relaxed produce or further changing breaking Scientists may have finally unlocked the mystery chameleons' unique ability to change color . The is that the reptile's skin is made of tiny mirror - like crystals , contained reflective pigment cells called iridophores . That's to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications . When the chameleon gets , or anticipates danger , the iridophores expand contract to enable the crystals to reflect different levels of light , thereby its skin color . The researchers used a of microscopy , high - resolution videography and color - based numerical modeling arrive at this discovery . " When the skin is in the state , the nanocrystals in the iridophore cells are very close to each other ? , the cells specifically reflect short wavelengths , as blue , " Michel Milinkovitch , a professor of genetics and evolution at the University of Geneva in Switzerland and the lead author of the study , told Live Science . Milinkovitch further explained that , when excited , the nanocrystals spread apart to reflect longer wavelengths yellow , red and orange , which combine with blue to different hues . If any of those hues is white , gold , black , or blue , we just have chameleons the Internet soo n
New game