Cat's whisker. Colored scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a cat's whisker, or vibrissa. Whiskers are the thickened hairs that grow out of a cat's face. Like all hair they are made up of dead cells containing the protein keratin. However, unlike other hairs, their follicle is surrounded by a capsule of blood, called a blood sinus, which is itself surrounded by nerves. When a whisker is moved, some of the blood in the sinus is displaced. This greatly amplifies the message sent to the nerves and allows even small changes in air pressure to be detected. This sensitivity allows a cat to detect the movement of prey in the dark. Magnification: 370x field of view is 2 centimeters wide. | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Kinsman, Ted |
Bildgröße: | 3600 px × 2700 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |