Gingiva. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of keratinised gingiva from a tooth extraction. The keratinised gingiva is the gum tissue immediately around the teeth. It has a pale pink colour, which is a result of the abundance of fibres and the relative lack of blood vessels in the tissue. Numerous microplicae (folds) cover the surface of the cells. Gingiva protects the soft tissue around the tooth from injury. Magnification: x2, 000 when printed at 10cm wide.