Skin Structure and Coloration

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to skin structure, color determination, and important skin conditions.

Stratum Corneum

The outermost layer of the skin, consisting of 25-35 layers of dead cells with no cellular organelles that are continuously shed and replaced.

Melanin

A pigment that determines skin color, produced in two types: Pheomelanin (yellow/red) and Eumelanin (brown/black).

Freckles

Accumulations of melanin in the skin.

Nevus

An overgrowth of melanocytes, commonly known as a mole.

Albinism

A genetic condition characterized by the inability to produce melanin due to a lack of the enzyme tyrosinase.

Vitiligo

A condition involving the loss of melanocytes that creates patches of skin with reduced pigmentation, potentially due to an autoimmune reaction.

Hemoglobin

A protein in red blood cells that can impart a reddish hue to the skin when near the surface.

Carotene

A yellow/orange pigment found in certain foods that is a precursor to Vitamin A.

Accessory Structures

Components of the skin such as hair and nails.

UV Light and Melanin Formation

UV light stimulates melanosome activity, leading to the synthesis of melanin from the amino acid tyrosine.