ALFONSO BLÁZQUEZ-CASTRO1,2,*, JUAN CARLOS STOCKERT2,3
BIOCELL, Vol.45, No.4, pp. 849-862, 2021, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2021.015900
Abstract Melanins (eumelanin, pheomelanin, and allomelanin) represent a very, if not the most, important group of biological
pigments. Their biological roles are multiple, from photoprotection to antioxidant activity, heavy metal disposal or the myriad
uses of color in organisms across all Phyla. In the first part of this review, eumelanin biology and some chemical aspects will be
presented, as well as key physico-chemical features that make this biological pigment so interesting. The principal
characteristics of the melanocyte, the melanin-synthesizing cell in mammals, will also be introduced. Transformed
melanocytes are the cause of one of the most devastating known cancers: the malignant… More >
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