Melanogenesis
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Melanogenesis is the production of the pigment melanin, responsible for skin colour. It is triggered by the damaging effect of ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet rays penetrate the skin and damage DNA; thymidine dinucleotides (pTpT) fragments from damaged DNA will trigger release of the hormone alpha-MSH, which can then bind to melanocytes to cause them produce melanin. Melanin vesicles from the melanocytes are then transferred to surrounding keratinocytes. The skin will then be darker, when the keratinocytes which have been filled with melanin move toward the skin surface.
External links
- The IFPCS presidential lecture: a chemist's view of melanogenesis (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12753395)