INBOX Speak your mind
THE BIOLOGY OF SKIN
Dear HIW,
How much melanin determines our bodies’ skin pigmentation?
Shathiswaran R.
Melanin plays a core role in determining our pigmentation. This substance is responsible for producing the colour of our hair, eyes and skin, and the more of it that’s produced, the darker these features will appear. The amount of melanin our bodies make isn’t decided by chance, but involves genetics and how much Sun exposure you have. Melanin plays a vital part in protecting us from the Sun’s radiation. The substance absorbs its ultraviolet (UV) rays to protect our cells from damage. Three different types of melanin make up our bodies’ pigmentation. Eumelanin can be black or brown in colour and produces darkness in eyes, skin and hair.