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Melanin (/ ˈmɛlənɪn / ⓘ; from Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas) 'black, dark') is a family of biomolecules organized as oligomers or polymers, which among other functions provide the pigments of many organisms. [1] Melanin pigments are produced in a specialized group of cells known as melanocytes.
Apr 29, 2021 · Melanin is a substance that melanocytes produce in the skin surface, which results in skin pigment. Each person will have a different amount of melanin in their skin.
Melanin is a substance in your body that produces hair, eye and skin pigmentation. The more melanin you produce, the darker your eyes, hair and skin will be. The amount of melanin in your body depends on a few different factors, including genetics and how much sun exposure your ancestral population had.
Oct 19, 2023 · Our skin color is determined by a pigment called melanin, and while everyone has melanin (both fair and dark-skinned people), it comes in different forms and ratios. The two forms of melanin are called eumelanin and pheomelanin .
Oct 10, 2023 · Melanin gives color, or pigment, to your skin, eyes, and hair. It also helps keep your cells safe from sun damage by soaking up UV rays that can be dangerous at high levels. How does skin get...
Feb 24, 2020 · What does melanin do? In nature, melanin serves diverse functions that range from camouflage and protection to energy harvesting. As pigments, melanins affect visual perception by enhancing or decreasing visual communication (think peacock feathers and chameleons, respectively).
Oct 18, 2024 · melanin, a dark biological pigment (biochrome) occurring in the skin, hair, feathers, scales, eyes, and some internal membranes of humans and other animals. Melanin is formed as an end product during metabolism of the amino acid tyrosine.
Skin pigmentation, which refers to how much melanin the body generates, determines the color of the skin. The two main types of melanin, eumelanin, and pheomelanin, are produced by melanocytes in the epidermal layer of the skin. Pheomelanin causes lighter skin tones, while eumelanin is responsible for darker skin tones [1, 2].
Aug 1, 2024 · Melanin is a pigment made by specialized cells in the skin called melanocytes. The amount and type of melanin determines skin color. Human skin is highly variable around the world, ranging from very dark brown to pale white. Generally speaking, pale skin has less melanin and less active melanocytes than darker skin or skin that tans more easily.
May 1, 2023 · In its various forms, melanin fulfills a variety of biological functions, including skin and hair pigmentation and photoprotection of the skin and eye. Pigmentation of the skin results from the accumulation of melanin-containing melanosomes in the basal layer of the epidermis.
