1/19/26

The Skinny on Melanin

 The poster can be downloaded at
Illustration of skin cross section showing cells, including the location of melanocytes.  Found in the thin basal layer of your epidermis, melanocytes are specific cells that produce melanin.   Melanin is a dark pigment that helps protect your skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation damage from the Sun. Too much Sun exposure can damage the DNA in your skin cells. All human beings have about the same number of melanocytes in their skin. The only difference is the amount of melanin produced by the melanocytes.    Besides the skin, melanin is also found in hair, eyes, brain, and other tissues. And there are more than 160 genes associated melanogenesis, which is the process that produces melanin.    The poster of this image can be downloaded at www.MendelCat.com/melanin