Melanocyte

Shaina Willenberg 2/16/16 Research Paper Vitiligo Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disease that affects a person in which they’re having the destruction of melanin in their body. This will lead to the loss of pigmentation. The loss of pigmentation in the skin is due to the melanocytes (melanin) which forms white patches on the skin. This disease can affect 1 in every 100 people in the Unites States (2). This skin disorder can affect both males and females of any race. We have a few different insights to why and where the disease may start in a person. It normally starts in a person when their autoimmune system begins to attack the melanocytes in the body. Also, it can derive from heredity from generations of their family or parents having it. Previously, vitiligo susceptibility genes were mainly revealed through linkage analysis and candidate gene studies (1). There are as well a few other factors that…

Melanotan 1 (melanotan) Melanotan I is a synthetic polypeptide which is an analogue of the natural peptide hormone, Apha-MSH (Alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone) which naturally occurs within the human body and plays the role of triggering melanogenesis. Melanogenesis is the process by which peptides lead to pigmentation of the skin, hair and eyes, and leads to the tanning process hence it is very essential in the protection of the skin against the harmful UV (ultra violet) radiation which…

It is hypothesized that motor proteins, dynein and kinesin control the transport of melanosomes into melanocyte dendrites as it is the net sum of cytoskeletal forces on an organelle that regulate intracellular transport. Dynein typically walk towards the minus-end of a microtubule in retrograde transport while kinesin move towards the plus-end in anterograde transport in neurons. The purpose of the article was to determine the role and effect of cytoplasmic dynein in melanosome transport in…

1. Introduction Alpacas are a member of the camelid family from South America, where they live in the semi-arid areas of the high-altitude plateau. They are famous for their soft fleece, which is known for its good strength and a range of natural coat colors from solid white to black. Not only does the coat color of the alpaca have important economic value, alpaca is also a perfect animal model in which to study the mechanisms controlling mammalian coat color genes. Mammalian coat colors are…

However, there is still no evidence that hormones of stress have the impact on melanocytes, and that they are the reason why melanocytes fail to deliver the pigment to keratin cells. All that means there is still no evidence or clear link that connects stress and grey or white hair. The conclusion is that stress and grey hair are a fiction. What are the causes of premature greying? For now, there is no link between stress and grey hair. What may cause premature greying? Here are some of the…

cells called melanocytes (Gohara and Perez 1). These melanocytes produce melanin which provides the skin with pigment (skin color) that play an important role in allowing the skin to become a natural sun block. Despite this, there are many individuals such as Caucasian men and albinos who lack the melanocytes needed to protect the skin. Because their skin produces a very weak…

Vitiligo is an integumentary disorder in which white patches of skin devoid of pigmentation due to the appear on different parts of the body due to melanocytes, cells which make pigment, are destroyed. Vitiligo can also affect the mucous membrane which are the tissues in the mouth, nose or eyes. Although the cause is unknown, it is suspected to be caused by an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease happens when your immune system mistakenly attacks some part of your own body. In this case, the…

Section A The skin is the largest organ of the human body. It's main function is to protect the internal organs, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels (Cancer Council Victoria, 2016). The skin is made up of three main layers - the epidermis, the dermis and the fat layer. The layer of fat insulates the body and keeps in warm from changing outside temperatures. The next layer is the dermis, which contains fat, collagen and elastin fibres which provide strength and flexibility to the skin. Blood…

Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime. A study showed that from 1970 to 2009, melanoma among women age 18-39 increased 800%. The use of tanning beds, bulbs, and other devices attributed to this. The skin is formed of two layers, the epidermis and dermis. The epidermis is made of squamous cells, basal cells, and melanocytes scattered throughout the basal cells. Melanocytes are located in the deepest part of the epidermis and produce the pigments of our skin. Exposing…

Having freckles is a common and harmless condition that is shared among many people around the world. Freckles are passed down genetically, and are a dominant trait. They are most common and most easily seen on fair skinned people. Many people with freckles notice that their freckles become darker after being out in the sun. This is because freckles are basically clumps of melanocytes, and the sun's ultraviolet rays cause melanocytes to create more melanin, making the freckles darker. Now,…