The structure of the osteoderms in the Gekko: Tarentola mauritanica

Histological and cytological analysis reveals that the osteoderms of Tarentola mauritanica are composed of an outer part superimposed on a basal region. The structure of both parts can be related to that of the surrounding dermis. The basal part of the osteoderms, inserted in the dense dermis, is made up of abundant closely packed collagen fibrils that orient the mineral deposit. The outer part, located in the superficial loose dermis, is crossed by few bundles of mineralized collagen fibrils arising from the basal part. These bundles connect the osteoderm to the overlying loose dermis. The outer superficial part is characterized by the presence of mineralized globules surrounding the mineralized collagen bundles. In these globules, the crystals are deposited on a microfibrillar matrix rich in acidic mucosubstances and composed of radially oriented, tangled microfilaments that lie among the collagen bundles. The two different mineralizing systems in the osteoderms of Tarentola mauritanica may reflect two different organic matrices. The mineral is deposited in a preexisting dermal tissue, as a "metaplastic ossification," and is another expression of the potential retained by the reptilian dermis to form mineralized structures.