MELANIN
Love Your Color
Our skin carries a unique pigmentation to each individual. However, where does this color arise? This page will introduce you to the structure of your skin and give a summary of melanin.
3 Main Skin Layers
- i. Epidermis
- ii. Dermis
- iii. Hypodermis
What do these terms mean? These terms may seem confusing, but let's start from the beginning. Melanocytes are cells, the
first to appear as early as the ninth week of pregnancy. It is not until after the baby's birth that most of the melanin
gets produced. Melanosomes are membrane-bound organelles found within the melanocytes. It is inside these melanosomes
where melanin, the pigment, is produced. What happens inside of melanosomes? A chemical reaction occurs which converts
tyrosine into melanin. Melanin is the pigment on the surface of our skin that we see. It carries benefits that include
protecting us against UV radiation and environmental challenges. Pigmentation is heritable, this means that it is
controlled primarily by factors including genetics, endocrine, and the environment. Beneath the skin, factors that
function in determining pigment include the type and amount of melanin you have and the number of melanosomes.
Amazingly, what is produced deep inside the epidermis layer, melanin, is reflected on the surface. Nowadays, our pigment
is a leading feature that allows individuals to predict a person's ethnicity.
Learn more here.