| melanism | 1. An indue development of dark-coloured pigment in the skin or its appendages; the opposite of albinism. 2. <medicine> A disease; black jaundice. See Melna. Origin: Gr, black. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| melanite | <chemical> A black variety of garnet. Origin: Gr, black: cf. F. Melanite. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| melano- | Black, extreme darkness of hue. Origin: G. Melas (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanoacanthoma | A seborrheic keratosis with melanin pigmentation associated with proliferation of intraepidermal melanocytes. Origin: melano-+ G. Akantha, thorn, + suffix -oma, tumour (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanoameloblastoma | <tumour> Synonym: melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy. Origin: melano-+ ameloblastoma (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanoblast | A cell derived from the neural crest; it migrates to various parts of the body early in embryonic life, and then becomes a mature melanocyte capable of forming melanin. Origin: melano-+ G. Blastos, germ, sprout (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanoblastoma | <tumour> Obsolete term for melanoma. Origin: melano-+ G. Blastos, germ, sprout, + -oma, tumour (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanocarcinoma | <tumour> Obsolete term for melanoma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanochroi | <ethnology> A group of the human race, including the dark whites. Origin: NL. See Melanochroic. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| melanochroite | <chemical> A mineral of a red, or brownish or yellowish red colour. It is a chromate of lead. Synonym: phoenicocroite. See: Melanochroic. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| melanocomous | Synonym: melanotrichous. Origin: melano-+ G. Kome, hair of the head (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanocyte | Special cells in the skin and the eye that synthesise melanin pigments. Clusters of melanocytes often appear on the skin as moles. In fish and reptiles, the pigments are stored in melanosomes (chromatophores) that can be redistributed in the cytoplasm to change pigment patterns. Synonym: melanodendrocyte. Origin: melano-+ G. + kytos, a hollow (cell) (29 Sep 1997) |
| melanocyte-stimulating hormone | <endocrinology> A releasing hormone produced in the mammalian hypophysis and related structures in lower vertebrates. Made up of _ MSH (1665D), the same as amino acids 1-13 of ACTH and _ MSH (18 amino acids, 22 in humans). Causes darkening of the skin by expansion of the melanophores but its role in mammals is unclear. Synonym: melanotropin. Acronym: MSH (22 Sep 2002) |
| melanocytoma | <tumour> 1. A pigmented tumour of the uveal stroma. 2. Usually benign melanoma of the optic disk, appearing in markedly pigmented individuals as a small deeply pigmented tumour at the edge of the disk, sometimes extending into the retina and choroid; malignant metaplasia is rare. Origin: megalo-+ cyto-+ G. -oma; tumour (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanodendrocyte | Special cells in the skin and the eye that synthesise melanin pigments. Clusters of melanocytes often appear on the skin as moles. In fish and reptiles, the pigments are stored in melanosomes (chromatophores) that can be redistributed in the cytoplasm to change pigment patterns. Synonym: melanodendrocyte. Origin: melano-+ G. + kytos, a hollow (cell) (29 Sep 1997) |