What is Melanin?
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Also called pigment, melanin is a substance that gives the skin and hair its natural color. It also gives color to the iris of the eye, feathers, and scales. In humans, those with darker skin have higher amounts of melanin. By contrast, those with less pigment have lighter or more fair skin coloring.
Melanin, sometimes referred to as a chemical, is formed as part of the process of metabolizing an amino acid called tyrosine. In the skin, melanin is formed by cells called melanocytes. Certain medical conditions, such as albinism, are associated with the lack of melanin. Albinism is a condition marked by the abesnce of a normal amount of pigment in the body. Animals, humans, and even plants can have albinism.
Albinism exists in a number of variations. Depending on the type of albinism, the skin, hair, and eyes may all be affected. In fact, ocular albinism affects not only the color of the eyes, hair, and skin, but also results in poor vision. Additionally, some types of melanin deficiency are associated with increased mortality rates.
Melanin provides many benefits to human beings. One of the most recognized benefits involves ultraviolet rays of the sun. Melanin provides a natural protection against the harmful effects of these rays. However, it does not provide complete protection from the sun, and individuals with darker skin tones are still at risk from the sun's damaging rays.
Generally, those with darker skin tones and more melanin are able to tolerate exposure to the sun for hours without getting sunburn. By contrast, a person with lighter skin may get sunburn after spending only minutes in the midday sun. Skin cancer is directly related to exposure to the sun and the presence of less than optimal amounts of pigment. Sun exposure has even been linked with cataracts.
Melanin is also a mechanism for absorbing heat from the sun. This purposes is of particular importance to cold-blooded animals. Snakes, lizards, certain types of fish, and a wide range of other animals depend on their surroundings, including the rays of the sun, to establish and maintain their body temperatures.
Also important for sharpness of vision, melanin serves to minimalize the number of light beams that enter the eye. It also provides for the absorption of scattered light within the eye. In this way, pigmentation allows for more keen sight.
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Discuss this Article
Explain the advantage for melanin granules being located in the deep layer of the epidermis.
- seattle76
How can decrease the percentage of melanin in the body? Bcoz i'm darker and i wanna be fair.
- anon34593
i have naturally ginger hair and very pale skin..i have never really stayed out in the sun long enough to see if i could get a tan so don't really know..do red heads have much melanin if any in their bodies at all?? and if so, then how much sun exposure or how long would it take to get a tan..and what spf sun cream is recommended to use to stop burning??
- latanya
How can melanin be metabolized by the body?
- anon31051
How should one provide melanin to the newborn child?
- bsg
Someone said that melanin protects the eyes from harmful light.
How does he/she explain the benefits of sun gazing (educate yourself before trying)....better eyesight, enlarged pineal gland, sharper intellect, more energy, less food energy required, etc.? - anon26636
Anon8864, I don't know if this is coming late but people who are albino lack melanin completely. Melanin gives color to the iris. Without it, you just see the color of light reflected off of the retina, which is usually pink or red in color like almost everything inside your body.
- PentaD22
I recently found an ad for reading glasses that are infused with melanin to reduce eye strain. My eye care professional said she never heard of this being possible, but if it were it would be incredible. Any info out there if this is possible?
- reo28
White patches on the skin are more likely to be vitiligo and there is no cure as yet. Selsun shampoo only works if the problem is related to a fungus or dandruff type skin contaminant, often caused by swimming in the Med.( warm world sewer I've been told ) I live in Spain and have noticed a lot of people with vitiligo. I have it !
- anon19108
hi, how to decrease the percentage of melanin in the body? and my eyes are brownish from my birth. i am 20 yrs old.. my hair was black before 3 yrs.. after that it is turning brown.. i did not do any treatments.. but i want my hair to be black.. please tell me what is the reason for this and plz suggest what to do to solve this problem..
- anon17178
things on the earth have melanin plants animals etc in holy books its written that god made man out of the earth the earth is brown therefore his creation of man was a brown man, and he also blessed man with melanin. it also says that god made man in the image of himself so the melanin he gave us must serve a greater purpose than what we think or think we know. i go on to say aliens came to the earth and tried to conquer but they couldn't survive on our climate so they abducted a few humans and forced bred with them in the process straight hair pointy nose colored eyed offspring on top of that they lost their melanin but just enough to keep them alive on the earth. world domination could finally begin.
- anon13227
to anon 11702,
okay, you made a lot of points, but you didn't explain anything either. If having melanin cures many things, how does a person get it into their bodies, when they don't have enough? Do you know the answer to that? Please give that answer if you know it? As far as people with melanin being more spiritual than those without.....I think that has more to do with other factors, than just melanin....and besides, spiritual people are naturally humble....and what you said about people who have more melanin being more spiritual is not humble....it gives others resentment...so if having melanin heals diseases, how do people with less melanin get melanin? Sadie
- anon11921
melanin is the key to civilization. comes from the greek word to mean BLACK. it is found in the pineal gland. it is instrumental in every chemical process in the body. the proof is in the pudding. people who have less melanin can not withstand the sun. which is in some cases seen a God of creation. the people who dont have brown eyes are more prone to make clouded decisions because of the amounts of harmful light that enters the eye. hair is straight and flat minus melanin which in turn cannot protect the scalp from harmful sun rays and environment(bugs lices) melanin is the skins first line of defense against any and everything. it is also like the creator. some people call the pineal gland the third eye which is why most people of color have more spiritual roots and what white people call "soul". melanin is far more than anyone wants you to know. which why there is only about a 8 sentence paragraph on it in most science books. you have to get the real good or expensive ones. i feel the knowledge should be taught to all. once you learn about melanin the government will be less likely to string you along with mass media and propaganda. there is no such thing as disease, germs and uncurable virus. it all has to do with the mucosal lining in our entire bodies and inflammation. melanin a natural fix, puts everything back into place. medications, stress and our diets make it harder for our bodies to control things naturally with negative feedback. i know you wise geeks know all about this. mark my words. try to look up melanin and see if you have a tuff time getting to the hard core facts. and if you do, you might have to dodge some racist remarks. but honestly the truth is the truth. which is why it is so easy for me to understand why any race would go through generation upon generations keeping another race- the ultimate "hue"-man race blind deaf and dumb to the truth. you don't have to have the "hue" to be humane. melanin is what makes any living thing a human being.
sincerely, a free mind
- anon11702
biosynthesis of melanin possible?
- anon11281
you are either born with a certain amount of melanin or your not. there is nothing, i repeat nothing you can eat, read, smell or do that will increase you amount of melanin. All of a sudden people want melanin...something that african-americans are treated too cruelly for...give me a freaking break and go get a tan. you're white or a hybrid get over it. it's fate.
- anon11133
As I understand it, melanin is also present in the brain, does this give people with higher melanin content in the body (brain included)any mental advantages over those who have less pigmented centers?
- anon10923
dark matter and melanin, what is the connection?
- anon10398
Hi, I want to know more about this, i have to do a report, but if you're albino, why do u have red/pink eyes? I know it has to do with melanin, but what occurs?
- anon8864
I was recently wondering if the type of melanin that causes blue eyes could be genetically coerced into forming hair of the same color. I do not know what this specific type of melanin this may be or whether or not it would be able to be incorporated in the molecular structure of hair. Perhaps you could enlighten me on this topic. Thank you for your time.
- PentaD22
If you have brown eyes that are just a tiny bit green, how would they be able to go from an amber color to blue? Does it have to do with melanin?
- anon6294
I take an oral medication, Lamictal, which is an anti-convulsant. Recently I learned that it binds with melanin. The product information sheet indicates that the drug has not been in use for long enough to determine its significance in this regard. I need the drug but don't want to risk my vision. I already have mild cataracts. Can your experts venture an opinion?
- anon5198
how does melanin affect your body?
- anon4596
Hi. I am 52 yr old, healthy male. I grayed at age 45, and am very gray now. I noticed this summer my hair beginning to darken.
Any ideas why? - anon3367
If melanin is responsible for our skin coloring AND HAIR color, can taking a supplement help premature graying of your hair?
- anon2928
i am having serious trouble tanning i spend all day in the sun everyday and i dont get any color what so ever.i recently had brain surgery and then proton radiation.i never had any trouble tanning before the radiation, i think that has something to do with it. because there is no way im living tanless the rest of my life,what a curse.
- anon2071
how to decrease the percentage of melanin in the body?
- sumit
According to my brief research, the type of food one eats does not have an effect on the amount of melanin in someone's body.
- Dayton
is melanin increase by eating indian spicy food in everyday?
- anon1725
Hello
Just woundering what i could use to treat MELANIN my body has all white patches, the doctor gave me celsun it is a shampoo but he said it works just put on the skin, that was 10 Months ago and still no change.
please advise me whats the best treatment
Thank you - derek123
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