noun
- a dark pigment found in the skin, hair, and eyes of humans and animals that determines coloration and provides protection from ultraviolet radiation
Usage: biological
Examples
- Melanin production increases when skin is exposed to sunlight.
- People with more melanin in their skin have darker complexions.
- The amount of melanin in hair determines whether it appears black, brown, or blonde.
- Melanin helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays.
- Albinism is a condition where the body produces little or no melanin.
- The iris of the eye gets its color from melanin deposits.