We all know that people differ from each other in the color of their skin, eyes and hair, but we don’t always wonder why this happens. But melanin is to blame for this. What it is? The pigment is black or dark brown in color, which is present in some cells located both in the epidermis and in the iris. In some cases, its amount is determined by the genotype, in others, by environmental conditions.
The fact is that the production of melanin occurs under the influence of sunlight - the skin is protected from ultraviolet radiation, a tan appears. The more time a person spends in the sun, the darker his skin becomes - this is a normal protective reaction of the body. But almost everyone knows that different people are sunbathing worse or better, someone just gets burned. As with eye color, this is determined by genotype. There is simply not enough melanin in the skin of such people, and the body also produces insufficient amounts of it, so you have to use sunscreen.
This function of melanin is extremely important, and although in the world a huge number of cases of skin cancer are registered every year, without this pigment they would have been even greater. Take even the African continent - without the powerful sun protection inherent in the locals, it would be simply impossible to survive. So it is this substance that is responsible for the color of the skin and protects it from the harmful effects of sunlight.
Thus, people with a high level of melanin can be easily distinguished from the rest - they easily tan, and their skin tone is rarely very light, usually it is olive or even darker. There is also a condition where the body cannot produce enough or even completely produce melanin. What does this mean and how is this manifested? In this case, they talk about albinism - the appearance of such people may seem very strange at first glance. Albino people can be met infrequently, but in the animal world this is not so rare, especially among rodents. Sometimes in the skin this pigment is destroyed for one reason or another - then we are talking about vitiligo.
Not only humans tend to produce melanin in their cells in response to sunlight. What does it mean? Are mushrooms, animals, and plants producing it too? Yes, because they also need photo protection, and this pigment perfectly shields ultraviolet.
In addition to its main function, melanin in the body also plays the role of a neurotransmitter, and also participates in the restoration and protection of DNA - the genetic information of each individual organism. In addition, it is a powerful antioxidant, an important role of this substance has long been recognized in medicine. It is this pigment that is responsible for the formation of freckles - the stained cells seem to gather in groups, and it looks like small spots on the skin, familiar to everyone.
People with pale skin often want their cells to produce melanin normally. What is it? Can this really be done? Directly - no, but you can increase the consumption of products with vitamin A, which is also involved in the production of this pigment, and also gives the skin a golden hue. Melanin has already learned how to extract from cells and synthesize with the amino acid tyrosine. It is used in medicines for the treatment of vitiligo, as well as photodermatitis, solar eczema, etc. It is also found in cosmetics to protect against ultraviolet radiation and used after tanning. In no case should you neglect skin protection, because it is fraught not only with burns, but also with much more serious problems.