What is pheomelanin and eumelanin?
Eumelanin is a dark pigment that predominates in black and brunette hair. Pheomelanin is a lighter pigment found in red hair, and is concentrated in the redder areas of the skin such as the lips.
What does eumelanin do to the skin?
Eumelanin protects the skin from UV light, whereas pheomelanin does not. As a result, people with more pheomelanin, such as those with blond or red hair and light skin, are more likely to experience sun damage.
What are the three causes of skin color?
The color of skin is influenced by a number of pigments, including melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin. Recall that melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found scattered throughout the stratum basale of the epidermis.
What is the function of pheomelanin?
These melanins are highly versatile in their biological functions, particularly in humans. Since they function as dark colored pigments, melanins protect our skin and hair from harmful reactive damage caused by visible and UV radiation in the presence of oxygen.
What organ produces melanin?
Melanin is synthesised in cytoplasmic organelles called melanosomes, which reside in skin cells and hair follicles called melanocytes. This process is known as melanogenesis.
How are eumelanin and pheomelanins related to skin?
Eumelanin is black or brown pigment and pheomelanin is red or yellow pigment. People who make lots of pheomelanin tend to have lighter skin, often because of freckling. Freckles happen when melanocytes clump together. Melanocytes are usually spread pretty evenly in the skin.
How is the color of your skin determined by melanin?
Melanin definition. 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.
How does pheomelanin affect the color of hair?
Pheomelanin colors the pinkish parts of your body like the lips and nipples. You get red hair when you have the same amount of pheomelanin and eumelanin. Strawberry blonde hair happens when you have brown eumelanin and pheomelanin. Neuromelanin Controls the colors of neurons.
What are the names of the two forms of melanin?
The two forms of melanin are called eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin comes in primarily brown and black hues, while pheomelanin appears as red and yellow hues.
