Melanin

The dark, amorphous pigment of the skin, hair, various tumors, the choroid coat of the eye, and substantia nigra of the brain.

The substance that gives the skin its color.

A dark pigment produced in the skin. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin. Melanin production increases in response to sunlight, causing the skin to become darken.

Dark pigment that gives color to skin and hair.

The black pigment found in the basal layer of the epidermis.

A substance beneath the skin that causes the dark pigment color; freckles.

A dark pigment which gives colour to skin and hair, also found in the choroid of the eye and in some tumours.

Dark brown to black pigment that occurs in skin, hair, and parts of the eye.

The pigment that normally determines the color of skin, hair, and eyes. Melanin functions as a sunscreen, protecting the skin from ultraviolet light. Skin that contains less melanin is more prone to sun damage and skin cancer. Melanin also has a role in susceptibility to other skin diseases.

A dark-brown to black pigment occurring in the hair, the skin, and in the iris and choroid layer of the eyes. Melanin is contained within special cells (chromatophores); in the skin these are found in the dermis. Production of melanin in the skin is increased by the action of sunlight (producing tanning), which protects the underlying skin layers from the sun’s radiation.

Pigment which confers colour to the skin, hair and eye. It is produced by cells called melanocytes interspersed along the basal layer of the epidermis. The maturation of the epidermis into stratum corneum cells packed with melanin granules confers an ultraviolet light barrier which protects the skin against the harmful effects resulting from continued solar exposure. The races do not differ in the number of melanocytes in their skin, only in the rate and quantity of melanin production. Exposure to bright sunlight stimulates melanin production and distribution causing ‘suntan’. A hormone from the pituitary gland may stimulate melanin production on the face in pregnancy.

The pigment produced by melanocytes that gives color to hair, skin, the substantia nigra of the brain, and the choroid of the eye. Exposure to sunlight stimulates melanin production; melanin protects skin cells from ultraviolet radiation.

Tiny grains of pigment (coloring matter) that are produced by melanocytes and deposited into cells in the stratum germinativum layer of the epidermis and in the papillary layers of the dermis. There are two types of melanin: pheomelanin, which is red to yellow in color, and eumelanin, which is dark brown to black.

A brown substance found in special cells in the epidermis; melanin is a major factor in determining the color of skin.

A natural pigment accountable for the pigmentation of hair, skin, and eyes. Melanin additionally safeguards the body by absorbing ultraviolet light.

Melanin is the brown or black pigment responsible for the color of skin, hair, and the iris in the eyes. It’s produced by cells known as melanocytes.

Sunlight exposure boosts melanin production, offering protection against the damaging impacts of ultraviolet rays and leading to skin darkening. When there’s a localized excess of melanin in the skin, it can lead to pigmented marks, such as freckles or moles.