melanin

/,melənin/

Thân thiện

Melanin gives the bird's feathers their dark, iridescent sheen.

Definition

Noun 1. A natural dark pigment: Melanin is a natural, insoluble pigment that is responsible for the color of skin, hair, eyes, feathers, and scales in humans and animals. It is produced by cells called melanocytes.

Usage

Melanin is a biological substance. It is used to describe the pigment itself or to discuss its role and concentration in living organisms. - The amount of melanin in a person's skin determines their skin tone. - Albinism is a condition characterized by a lack of melanin. - The bird's vibrant feathers are due to specialized melanin structures.

Advanced Usage

• Melanin production: The biological process of creating melanin.
  • Sun exposure stimulates melanin production, leading to tanning.
• Melanin content: The quantity of melanin present.
  • Scientists studied the melanin content in fossilized feathers.

Variants and Related Words

• Melanocyte (noun): A cell that produces melanin.
• Melanogenesis (noun): The process of melanin production.
• Eumelanin (noun): A type of melanin that is brown or black.
• Pheomelanin (noun): A type of melanin that is red or yellow.

Synonyms

• Pigment: A general term for a substance that gives color.
• Biochrome: A biological pigment.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Melanin granules: The small particles within cells that contain melanin.
• Melanin distribution: How melanin is spread within tissues, such as in the iris of the eye.

Học thuật

Noun

1. insoluble pigments that account for the color of e.g. skin and scales and feathers