| melanosis coli | Melanosis of the large intestinal mucosa due to accumulation of pigment of uncertain composition within macrophages in the lamina propria. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| melanosis corii degenerativa | A congenital abnormality in which pigment is deposited in whorls and streaks; vesicles occasionally occur, and it may be associated with cardiac or neurologic disorders. Compare: incontinentia pigmenti, incontinentia pigmenti achromians. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanosity | Darkness of complexion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanosome | <cell biology> Membrane bounded organelle found in melanocytes, when melanin synthesis is active internal structure is characteristic, containing melanofilaments that have a periodicity of around 9nm and are arranged in parallel arrays. Mature melanosomes, in which the filamentous structure is masked by the dense accumulation of melanin, are transferred to keratinocytes. Origin: Gr. Soma = body (13 Nov 1997) |
| melanosperm | <botany> An alga of any kind that produces blackish spores, or seed dust. The melanosperms include the rockweeds and all kinds of kelp. Melanospermous. Origin: Gr, black + seed. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| melanostatin | Inhibits synthesis and release of melanotropin. Synonym: melanotropin release-inhibiting hormone. Origin: melanotropin + G. States, stationary, + -in (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanotic | 1. Pertaining to the presence, normal or pathologic, of melanin. 2. Relating to or characterised by melanosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanotic carcinoma | <tumour> Obsolete term for melanoma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanotic freckle | A brown or black mottled, irregularly outlined, slowly enlarging lesion resembling a lentigo in which there are increased numbers of scattered atypical melanocytes in the epidermis, usually occurring on the face of older persons; after many years the dermis may be invaded and the lesion is then termed lentigo maligna melanoma. Synonym: Hutchinson's freckle, melanotic freckle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanotic neuroectodermal tumour of infancy | A benign neoplasm of neuroectodermal origin that most often involves the anterior maxilla of infants in the first year of life. It presents clinically as a rapidly growing blue-black lesion producing a destructive radiolucency; histologically, it is characterised by small round undifferentiated tumour cells interspersed with larger polyhedral melanin-producing cells arranged in an alveolar configuration. Synonym: melanoameloblastoma, pigmented ameloblastoma, pigmented epulis, progonoma of jaw, retinal anlage tumour. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanotic pigment | <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) |
| melanotic progonoma | A pigmented hairy nevus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanotic whitlow | <tumour> A melanoma beginning in the skin at the border of or beneath the nail. Synonym: melanotic whitlow. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanotonin | See: melatonin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| melanotrichous | Having black hair. Synonym: melanocomous. Origin: melano-+ G. Thrix (trich-), hair (05 Mar 2000) |