Question

Which pigment is responsible for the color of the skin?

Answer 1

The skin is the largest tissue of the body. It covers the whole body and protects it from external damages and infections. It is one of the sensory organs. Every individual has different skin colors based on the amount of pigment present in melanocyte cells of the skin.

Complete answer: Human skin is the largest organ of the integumentary system. It acts as an outer protective and insulating covering. It acts as the primary barrier to pathogens thus functions in innate immunity. Also, skin regulates homeostasis and provides insulation to the body.
-The skin pigmentation varies greatly among different individuals. It is believed that skin pigmentation differs based on the amount of UV light that penetrates the skin exerting biochemical effects. The pigmentation ranges from darkest browns to whitish-pink colors.
-The main factor that determines the color of the skin is melanin pigment. It is a pigment present in the basal layer of the epidermis. The special types of cells called melanocytes are responsible for their production. Melanin majorly determines brown skin colors or darker skin shades. There are other pigments present in different skin layers that affect other lighter skin tones. But the melanin component is common in al and is a major determinant of skin color.
-Melanin is a group of natural pigments found in organisms. It is produced in multistage chemical processes. This process is called melanogenesis. Oxidation of amino acid tyrosine followed by polymerization in melanocyte cells results in melanin production. There are three main melanin pigments. One of these is eumelanin that is the common type found in brown and black skin colors.

-Melanogenesis initiates exposure to UV rays. This causes the skin to darken. As the melanin absorbs much of UV light, it is thought to protect skin from harmful UV radiation that may cause cancer of melanocytes.

Note: Melanin is not only present in humans but it is present in various other organisms too. In cephalopods, it is present as an ink that is used as defense mechanisms against predator species. Also, melanin present in bacterial cells protects them from stresses that are caused due to UV radiation damage.