Knowra Eumelanin Eumelanin Eumelanin is a brown-black biological pigment made from oxidized tyrosine derivatives. It absorbs ultraviolet and visible light and contributes to coloration in skin, hair, eyes, and other tissues.
Melanogenesis : The biological process by which pigment-producing cells synthesize melanin. Eumelanin is produced through this pathway, whose enzymes direct pigment formation.
Pheomelanin : A sulfur-containing yellow-to-reddish melanin pigment found in skin, hair, and other tissues. Its color and chemistry distinguish it from brown-black eumelanin.
Skin pigmentation : The coloration of skin produced chiefly by melanin in the epidermis. Eumelanin is a major determinant of brown-to-black skin coloration.
Skin cancer : A group of cancers arising from skin cells, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Greater eumelanin generally lowers ultraviolet damage, but does not eliminate cancer risk.
Eumelanin structure : The molecular organization of eumelanin, a heterogeneous pigment polymer whose precise architecture remains unresolved. Its disordered structure makes the pigment’s chemistry difficult to describe with a single formula.
Tyrosinase : A copper-containing enzyme that catalyzes key reactions in melanin biosynthesis. It initiates reactions that supply building blocks for eumelanin.
Neuromelanin : A dark pigment that accumulates in certain neurons, especially in the substantia nigra. It is a distinct neural pigment, not simply eumelanin in the brain.
Hair color : The natural coloration of hair, determined largely by the amount and type of melanin in hair shafts. Eumelanin contributes brown and black tones in human hair.
Melanoma : A malignant tumor arising from melanocytes or related pigment-producing cells. Its cells often produce melanin, though tumor pigmentation varies widely.
Eumelanin photophysics : The ways eumelanin absorbs, dissipates, and responds to light at the molecular level. Understanding its unusually broad absorption could clarify how it converts light energy safely.
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