Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 22 January 2025. "Skin pigmentation" redirects here. For animal skin pigmentation, see Biological pigment. Extended Coloured family from South Africa showing some spectrum of human skin coloration Human skin color ranges from the darkest brown to the lightest hues. Differences in skin color among ...
Melanin is responsible for giving color to the skin, hair, and eyes. Moreover, melanin is found in the light-sensitive tissue of the retina of the eye which plays a role in normal vision. The exact function of protein P is unknown, but it has been found that it is essential for the normal coloring of skin , eyes , and hair ; and likely involved ...
Agouti-signaling protein is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ASIP gene. [5] [6] It is responsible for the distribution of melanin pigment in mammals.[7] [8] Agouti interacts with the melanocortin 1 receptor to determine whether the melanocyte (pigment cell) produces phaeomelanin (a red to yellow pigment), or eumelanin (a brown to black pigment). [9]
The agouti gene, the Agouti-signaling protein (ASIP) is responsible for variations in color in many species. Agouti works with extension to regulate the color of melanin which is produced in hairs. The agouti protein causes red to yellow pheomelanin to be produced, while the competing molecule α-MSH signals production of brown to black eumelanin.
Higher eumelanin levels also can be a disadvantage, however, beyond a higher disposition toward vitamin D deficiency. Dark skin is a complicating factor in the laser removal of port-wine stains. Effective in treating white skin, in general, lasers are less successful in removing port-wine stains in people of Asian or African descent.
Recently, the gene responsible for the melanophore-specific golden zebrafish strain, Slc24a5, was shown to have a human equivalent that strongly correlates with skin colour. [37] Chromatophores are also used as a biomarker of blindness in cold-blooded species, as animals with certain visual defects fail to background adapt to light environments ...
Sodium/potassium/calcium exchanger 5 (NCKX5), also known as solute carrier family 24 member 5 (SLC24A5), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC24A5 gene that has a major influence on natural skin colour variation. [5] The NCKX5 protein is a member of the potassium-dependent sodium/calcium exchanger family.
Melanin is a dark pigment primarily responsible for skin color. Once synthesized, melanin is contained in special organelles called melanosomes which can be transported to nearby keratinocytes to induce pigmentation. Thus darker skin tones have more melanosomes present than lighter skin tones.