Three
factors contribute to skin color: 1) the amount and kind (yellow, reddish
brown, or black) of melanin in the epidermis; 2) the amount of carotene
(yellow) in the epidermis and subcutaneous tissue; and 3) the amount of oxygen
bound to hemoglobin (red blood cell pigment) in the dermal blood cells. Skin
color is genetically determined, for the most part. Differences in skin color
result not from the number of melanocytes an individual has, but rather from
the amount of melanin produced by the melanocytes and the size and distribution
of the pigment granules. Although darker-skinned people have slightly more
melanocytes than those who are lightskinned, the distribution of melanin in the
higher levels of the epidermis contributes
to
their skin color.
No comments:
Post a Comment