BIO 1300 Lecture 9: Evolution of Hairlessness Part 2
11 Feb 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Wider range if colour than any other animal. Race is an artificial grouping of humans. The darker the parents the darker the children will be. Properties include protection against uv radiation from the sun. Don"t want free radicals, especially near dna. It is perceived as dark as they absorb light besides that specific wave length. Produce melanin in small groups known as melanosomes. Found in basal cell layers of skin. Dendrites are cell extension which allow melanin to reach further out into the next layer of skin cells, in this case, keratin. Environmental influence, production will increase in high light environments. Everyone has the hardware to produce melanin. Dark skin is clearly a protective mechanism. Albino stop of melanin production, highly susceptible to cancers. Vitiligo production is stopped in certain places on the body, occurs in light and dark skinned people. More noticeable in dark skin due to contrast.
