Word parts
What it means
Made by cells in the skin called melanocytemuh-LAN-uh-syteA cell in the bottom layer of the skin's outer layer that makes melanin, the pigment that gives skin and hair their color.melan/o black-cyte cellFull entry , melanin absorbs ultraviolet light and helps protect skin cells from sun damage. The amount and type of melanin set a person's natural skin, hair and eye color. Sun exposure increases it, causing a tan. On darker skin, signs such as redness or bluish color can be harder to see, so nurses look in other places, such as the lips, gums, nail beds and inner eyelids.
Related terms
melan/o
A word root that means black or dark.
melanocyte
A cell in the bottom layer of the skin's outer layer that makes melanin, the pigment that gives skin and hair their color.
skin cancer
Cancer that starts in the cells of the skin.