In most biological nomenclature, a scale (Greek lepid, Latin squama) is a small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin to provide protection. In lepidopteran species, scales are plates on the surface of the insect wing, and provide coloration. Scales are quite common and have evolved multiple times with varying structure and function. Biology is the branch of science dealing with the study of life. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... A close-up of human skin. ... Super Families Butterflies Hesperioidea Papilionoidea Moths Micropterigoidea Heterobathmioidea Eriocranioidea Acanthopteroctetoidea Lophocoronoidea Neopseustoidea Mnesarchaeoidea Hepialoidea Nepticuloidea Incurvarioidea Palaephatoidea Tischeriodea Simaethistoidea Tineoidea Gracillarioidea Yponomeutoidea Gelechioidea Zygaenoidea Sesioidea Cossoidea Tortricoidea Choreutoida Urodoidea Galacticoidea Schreckensteinioidea Epermenioidea Pterophoroidea Aluctoidea Immoidea Axioidea Hyblaeoidea Thyridoidea Whalleyanoidea Pyraloidea Mimallonoidea Lasiocampoidea Geometroidea Drepanoidea Bombycoidea Calliduloidae Hedyloidea Noctuoidea Families About... Classes & Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrate animals of the Class Insecta, the largest and (on land) most widely-distributed taxon within the phylum Arthropoda. ... A hypothetical phylogenetic tree of all extant organisms, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence data, showing the evolutionary history of the three domains of life, bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. ...

There are various types of scales according to shape and to class of animal. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ...

In this SEM image of a butterfly wing the scales are clearly visible, and the tiny platelets on each individual scale are just barely visible in the striping. © William Sharp, Arizona State University.

SEM image of butterfly wing scales. ... SEM image of butterfly wing scales. ... Low temperature SEM magnification series for a snow crystal. ...

Cosmoid scales

True cosmoid scales can only be found on the extinct Crossopterygians. The inner layer of the scale is made of lamellar bone. On top of this lies a layer of spongy or vascular bone and then a layer of dentinelike material called cosmine. The upper surface is keratin. The coelacanth has modified cosmoid scales that lack cosmine and are thinner than true cosmoid scales. ... Dentin (BE: dentine) is the name of substance between the enamel (crown) or cementum (root) of a tooth and the pulp chamber. ... Microscopy of keratin filaments inside cells. ... Families See text Coelacanth (meaning hollow thorn, from the Greek coelia, κοιλιά (hollow) and acanthos, άκανθος (thorn)); IPA: ) is the common name for an order of fish that includes the oldest living lineage of jawed fish known to date. ...

Ganoid scales

Ganoid scales can be found on gars (family Lepisosteidae) and bichirs and reedfishes (family Polypteridae). Ganoid scales are similar to cosmoid scales, but a layer of ganoin lies over the cosmine layer and under the enamel. They are diamond-shaped, shiny, and hard. Species Atractosteus spatula Atractosteus tristoechus Atractosteus tropicus Lepisosteus oculatus Lepisosteus osseus Lepisosteus platostomus Lepisosteus platyrhincus In American English the name gar (or garpike) is strictly applied to members of the Lepisosteidae, a family including seven living species of fish in two genera that inhabit fresh, brackish, and occasionally marine, waters... Eukaryota > Metazoa > Chordata > Craniata > Vertebrata > Euteleostomi > Actinopterygii > Neopterygii > Semionotiformes > Lepisosteidae Lepisosteidae is a group of Semionotiformes animals that contains: Lepisosteus Lepisosteus oculatus Lepisosteus osseus Lepisosteus platyrhynchus Lepisosteus spatula ... Genera Erpetoichthys Polypterus The bichirs are a family (Polypteridae) of primitive ray-finned fishes, the sole family in the order Polypteriformes. ... Genera Erpetoichthys Polypterus The bichirs are a family (Polypteridae) of primitive ray-finned fishes, the sole family in the order Polypteriformes. ...

Placoid scales

Placoid scales are found on cartilaginous fish and sharks. These scales, also called denticles, are similar in structure to teeth. Cartilage is a type of dense connective tissue. ... Orders Carcharhiniformes Heterodontiformes Hexanchiformes Lamniformes Orectolobiformes Pristiophoriformes Squaliformes Squatiniformes Sharks are a group (superorder Selachimorpha) of fish, with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body. ... Denticles or placoid scales are small outgrowths which cover the skin of many cartilaginous fish including sharks. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Keeled scales of a colubrid snake

Leptoid scales

Leptoid scales are found on the higher bony fishes and come in two forms, ctenoid and cycloid scales.

Cycloid scales have a smooth outer edge, and are most common on more primitive fish with soft fin rays, such as salmon and carp. The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ... Genera Abramis Aristichthys Barbodes Carassius Cirrhinus Ctenopharyngodon Cyprinus Epalzeorhynchos Henicorhynchus Hypophthalmichthys Labeo Mylopharyngodon and others A carp is any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. ...

Ctenoid scales have a toothed outer edge, and are usually found on more derived fishes with spiny fin rays, such as bass and crappie. Largemouth Bass Bass (IPA /bæs/) is a name shared by many different species of popular game fish. ... Species - white crappie - black crappie Pomoxis [Rafinesque, 1818], is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (family Centrarchidae) of order Perciformes. ...

As they grow, cycloid and ctenoid scales add concentric layers. The scales of bony fishes are laid so as to overlap in a head-to-tail direction, a little like roof tiles, allowing a smoother flow of water over the body and therefore reducing drag. An object falling through a gas or liquid experiences a force in direction opposite to its motion. ...

Lepidopteran wing scales

Butterfly and moth species of the order Lepidoptera (Greek "scale-winged") have membranous wings covered in delicate, powdery scales. Each scale consists of a series of tiny stacked platelets of organic material. Because the thickness of the platelets is on the same order as the wavelength of visible light the plates lead to structural coloration and iridescence through the physical phenomenon described as thin-film optics. Families Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is an insect of the Order Lepidoptera, and belongs to one of the superfamilies Hesperioidea (the skippers) or Papilionoidea (all other butterflies). ... A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. ... Super Families Butterflies Hesperioidea Papilionoidea Moths Micropterigoidea Heterobathmioidea Eriocranioidea Acanthopteroctetoidea Lophocoronoidea Neopseustoidea Mnesarchaeoidea Hepialoidea Nepticuloidea Incurvarioidea Palaephatoidea Tischeriodea Simaethistoidea Tineoidea Gracillarioidea Yponomeutoidea Gelechioidea Zygaenoidea Sesioidea Cossoidea Tortricoidea Choreutoida Urodoidea Galacticoidea Schreckensteinioidea Epermenioidea Pterophoroidea Aluctoidea Immoidea Axioidea Hyblaeoidea Thyridoidea Whalleyanoidea Pyraloidea Mimallonoidea Lasiocampoidea Geometroidea Drepanoidea Bombycoidea Calliduloidae Hedyloidea Noctuoidea Families About... The wavelength is the distance between repeating units of a wave pattern. ... The optical spectrum (light or visible spectrum) is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye. ... The iridescence of the Blue Morpho butterfly wings. ... Thin-film optics is the branch of optics which deals with very thin structured layers of different materials. ...

Others

Reptile scale types include: cycloid, granular (which appear bumpy), and keeled (which have a center ridge). Orders See text. ...

Some features of plant morphology may also be described as scales.