| melanin | <protein> Pigments largely of animal origin. High molecular weight polymers of indole quinone. Colours include black/brown, yellow, red and violet. Found in feathers, cuttle ink, human skin, hair and eyes and in cellular immune responses and wound healing in arthropods. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| melanins | Pigments causing darkness in skin, hair, feathers, etc. They are irregular polymeric structures and are divided into three groups: allomelanins in the plant kingdom and eumelanins and phaeomelanins in the animal kingdom. (12 Dec 1998) |
| artificial melanin | A dark pigment, resembling melanin, formed from glucosamines in chitin. Synonym: artificial melanin, factitious melanin. (05 Mar 2000) |
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