On the basis of discussions emerging from a workshop and discussions at the 7th meeting of the European Society for Pigment Cell Research in Geneva in 2012, this manuscript outlines useful criteria for defining the bona fide pigment cells as a functional entity of the vertebrate body plan and differentiating them from 'pigmented' cells in general. It also proposes a nomenclature for various types of pigment cells of vertebrates.
Keywords: definition; nomenclature; pigment cell.
© 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.