melanin
Sign in to savethumb|Micrograph of melanin pigment (light refracting granular material—center of image) in a pigmented [[melanoma]] thumb|Micrograph of the epidermis, with melanin labeled at left
AI overview
Melanin is a dark pigment produced by cells in your skin that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color. It plays an important protective role by absorbing ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, helping shield your skin from damage.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Material.name
- Melanin
- Material.image
- Eumelanine.svg
- Material.alt
- One possible structure of eumelanin
- Material.caption
- One possible structure of eumelanin
- Material.type
- Heterogeneous biopolymer
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
23 sectionsContents
- Melanin types
- Eumelanin
- Pheomelanin
- Neuromelanin
- Other forms of melanins
- Peptidomelanin
- Selenomelanin
- Trichochromes
- Humans
- Other organisms
- Plants
- Interpretation as a single monomer
- Biosynthetic pathways
- Microscopic appearance
- Genetic disorders and disease states
- Human adaptations
- Physiology
- Evolutionary origins
- Effects
- Physical properties and technological applications
- Role in melanoma metastasis
- References
- External links
thumb|Micrograph of melanin pigment (light refracting granular material—center of image) in a pigmented [[melanoma]] thumb|Micrograph of the epidermis, with melanin labeled at left
Melanin (; ) is a family of biomolecules organized as oligomers or polymers, which among other functions provide the pigments of many organisms. Melanin pigments are produced in a specialized group of cells known as melanocytes.