Knowra Melanin Melanin Melanin is a group of pigments produced by many organisms that colors tissues and absorbs or scatters ultraviolet radiation. Its types differ in chemistry, color, and protective effects.
Melanogenesis : The cellular process by which melanocytes synthesize melanin from the amino acid tyrosine. This pathway builds the pigment whose production determines much of tissue pigmentation.
Eumelanin : A brown-black form of melanin found in skin, hair, and other tissues. It is the most familiar dark pigment within the melanin family.
Skin phototype : A classification of skin by its tendency to burn or tan after ultraviolet exposure. Pigment amount and type contribute to the variation in ultraviolet response captured by these classifications.
Evolution of human skin pigmentation : The evolutionary change in human skin color shaped by natural selection and environmental conditions. Melanin variation underlies much of the pigmentation shaped by these evolutionary pressures.
Carotenoid : A class of yellow, orange, and red pigments produced by plants, algae, fungi, and some bacteria. Carotenoids can color skin and hair, but they are chemically distinct from melanin.
Melanocyte : A pigment-producing cell that synthesizes melanin and transfers it to neighboring cells. Melanocytes make melanin and pass pigment to skin cells that display it.
Pheomelanin : A yellow-red form of melanin containing sulfur, found in skin and hair. Its chemistry and lighter coloration distinguish it from eumelanin.
Melanoma : A cancer arising from melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin. The pigment-producing cells can become malignant, making their biology directly relevant to this cancer.
Natural selection : A process in which heritable traits affecting survival or reproduction become more or less common across generations. Selection helps explain the geographic distribution of human pigmentation.
Hemoglobin : An iron-containing protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen and contributes to blood color. Blood color can affect tissue appearance, but hemoglobin is not a melanin pigment.
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