Melanin

Introduction: Melanin

Description of Melanin

Melanin: Dark pigmentation that occurs in the hair, skin and eyes.

Melanin: Any of the dark brown to black polymers of indole-5,6-quinone and/or 5,6-dihydroxyindole 2-carboxylic acid that normally occur in the skin, hair, pigmented coat of the retina, and inconstantly in the medulla and zona reticularis of the adrenal gland. Melanin may be formed in vitro or biologically by oxidation of l-tyrosine or l-tryptophan, the usual mechanism being the enzymatic oxidation of l-tyrosine to 3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (dopa) and dopaquinone by monophenol monooxygenase, and the further oxidation (probably spontaneous) of this intermediate to melanin. Cf.: eumelanin, pheomelanin SYN: melanotic pigment. [G. melas (melan-), black]
Source: Stedman's Medical Spellchecker, © 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Melanin: The substance that gives color to skin and eyes.
Source: National Institute of Health

Melanin: amorphous, nonproteinaceous pigment responsible for the brown hue of eyes, skin, hair, various tumors, and certain internal structures including the substantia nigra of the brain.
Source: CRISP

Melanin: Insoluble polymers of TYROSINE derivatives found in and causing darkness in skin (SKIN PIGMENTATION), hair, and feathers providing protection against SUNBURN induced by SUNLIGHT. CAROTENES contribute yellow and red coloration.
Source: MeSH 2007

Terms associated with Melanin:

Broader terms for Melanin

• Tyrosine
• Pigments, Biological

Source - MeSH 2007

• pigment

Source - CRISP

The term Melanin can be used for:

• melanin inhibitor

Source: CRISP

Hierarchical classifications of Melanin

The following list attempts to classify Melanin into categories where each line is subset of the next.

MeSH 2007 Hierarchy:

• Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins
  • Amino Acids
    • Amino Acids, Cyclic
      • Amino Acids, Aromatic
        • Tyrosine
          • Melanins

MeSH 2007 Hierarchy

• Biological Factors
  • Pigments, Biological
    • Melanins

Interesting Medical Articles:

• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Online Diagnosis
• Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
• Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
• Research Your Symptoms
• Diseases & Medical Conditions
• Medical Diagnosis
• [Full list of premium articles on symptoms, diseases, and diagnosis]

Medical dictionaries:

• Medical dictionary,
• Medical Acronymns/Abbreviations

More Medical Dictionary Topics

Fall in, on, or from railway train injuring passenger on railway

Find out more

Search to find out more about Melanin:

powered by Search the Web Search wrongdiagnosis.com

 » Next page: Melanin inhibitor

Rate This Website

What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:

Website User Survey

Medical Tools & Articles:

Tools & Services:

• Bookmark this page
• Symptom Search
• Symptom Checker
• Medical Dictionary
• Give your feedback

Medical Articles:

• Disease & Treatments Search
• Misdiagnosis Center
• Full list of interesting articles

Forums & Message Boards

• Ask or answer a question at the Boards:
• I cannot get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for my condition?
• See all the Boards.

Enter your search terms Submit search form
Search The Web Search wrongdiagnosis.com

Common Health Mistakes

Symptom
Checker

Search Specialists by State and City