Melanin: Biology Beyond Color

Melanin is often introduced as the pigment responsible for skin, hair, and eye color, but color is only the beginning of its story. Melanin is a complex biological polymer produced within melanosomes, shaped by chemistry, cellular signaling, genetics, and our relationship with light. From absorbing ultraviolet radiation to participating in photoprotection and adaptive responses, understanding melanin requires us to move beyond what pigmentation looks like and examine the biology that makes it possible. Pigment is what we see. Melanin is part of the biology behind what we see.