melanin
/ˈmɛlənɪn/ noun
Forms melanins
- noun (biochemistry) Any of a group of naturally occurring dark pigments, especially the pigment found in skin, hair, fur, and feathers.
Etymology
From New Latin, from Ancient Greek stem of μέλας (mélas, “black”) + -in; by surface analysis, melan(o)- + -in.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A black pigment found in the pigment-bearing cells of the skin (particularly in the skin of the negro), in the epithelial cells of the external layer of the retina (then called fuscin), in the outer layer of the choroid, and elsewhere. It is supposed to be derived from the decomposition of hemoglobin.
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “melanin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details