The Skin Lab Report

Melanocytes are pigment-producing cells commonly found in your lower part of your outer layer of skin, which is known as the epidermis. The natural color of your skin is produced by melanin. When skin is being exposed to

Two times of melanin are produced within the body, one is called eumelanin and it is responsible for the golden brown color we normally associate with tanning. Another pigment is called pheomelanin and it produces a red color. Redheads and blondes produce more pheomelanin and less eumelanin, which is why they don't tan as well. Sunlight and ultraviolet rays affect the pituitary gland, a gland at the base of the brain that secretes hormones, which then produces melanocyte-stimulating hormone. This hormone flows through the bloodstream to the melanocytes, which makes them able to produce more melanin. (The Science of Tanning)

It is usually caused by intense exposure from ultraviolet radiation such as sun or tanning beds. Melanoma is when damaged DNA from this high exposure triggers mutations in the body that leads to the intense multiplication of cancerous cells. Melanoma cancer can look almost like a mole and can range from skin colored to black or brown in color. If caught and treated early it is curable, however if not caught early it can spread into the body and cause other cancerous cells or death. There are four types of melanoma skin cancers: superficial spreading melanoma, lentigo maligna, acral lentiginous melanoma and nodular melanoma. Superficial spreading melanoma is the most common and is usually seen in young people, but in all ages as well. It is known for growing along the epidermis for a long period of time before penetrating into the skin. This can also be found almost anywhere on the body but usually for men on their upper bodies and for females on their legs but also upper bodies. Lentigo maligna is known for its appearance for can look similar to a tan or dark discoloration. It is usually found in the elderly population and is the most common in areas of Hawaii. It is found on the upper body, arms, facial area and ears. Acral lentiginous melanoma is known for its appearance under the nails, palms of the hands or feet as a dark discoloration. It is mostly common in Asian and African-American cultures and can

Dermatologists, physicists, and scientists conducted a workshop of UVA treatment, and the workshop’s findings are presented in the New England Journal of Medicine. A previous president of the American Academy of Dermatology wrote an article titled “UVA1 is Often A1” to discuss their findings. The workshop found that medium or high-dose UVA1 works well with morphea, urticarial pigmentosa, atopic dermatitis, dyshydrotic dermatitis, subacute pruigo, and systemic lupus erythematosus. These diseases are treated by UVA rays because the wavelength is longer, which means there is less energy delivered to the skin and the greater penetration of photons (Dahl, 2012). Dermatologists even use sunbeds with higher intensity than regular tanning beds in their offices. For example, Windsor Dermatology uses four different types of light therapy to treat the skin condition psoriasis. One type of light therapy is that of UVA. The anti-inflammatory properties of ultraviolet light aid in slowing the growth of psoriasis effected skin

As many as ninety percent of melanomas are estimated to be caused ultra violet (UV) exposure. This includes UV exposure from artificial sources, such as tanning beds. “Strong evidence now links tanning beds to melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer that afflicts nearly 69,000 Americans a year.”—USA Today. The more one tans and the younger one is your risk for melanoma increases. However, melanoma is increasing faster in women 15-29 years old, than in men the same age. Furthermore, 10,000 people die from melanoma. This is mainly caused because of tanning beds. As a matter of fact, a person dies every fifty minutes from melanoma, the second most common cancer. Tanning beds triple the risk of one getting melanoma. In fact, every time one goes and tans, the risk gets higher and higher. Following this further, more people get melanoma because of tanning beds than developing lung cancer because of

Some people are born with more melanin than others. People with dark skin have more melanin than people with light skin. Some people are born with no melanin at all, and they are called albinos (Stewart, 10). Too much time in the sun produces extra melanin which protects the skin from the sun’s rays, and also makes lighter skin get darker, or suntanned. But if too much time is spent in the sun, it can result in a sunburn, and this can lead to skin

The basic component in tanning is ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light, whether produced by a tanning unit or by the sun, contains two components; UVA and UVB. These are the two types of ultraviolet radiation that are known to negatively effect the skin. UVA has a longer wavelength that causes photoaging and can produce some melanomas. UVB has a shorter wavelength that also causes photoaging and has been implicated in skin cancers. Photoaging is the premature aging or deep wrinkling of skin. Indoor tanning units utilize both forms of light waves to tan a person with a minimized risk of sunburn. Tanning outdoors does not give you this option because the sun omits every type of UV rays, so a person is more likely to burn. A person’s skin epidermis consists of two layers: The germinative layer and the horny layer. Another name for the germinative layer is the “living layer.” And another name for the horny layer is the “dead” layer. When exposed to ultraviolet light, melanocytes in the germinative layer produce melanin that is absorbed by surrounding cells. Melanin is a dark pigment found in the pigment-bearing cells of the skin, and melanocytes are epidermal cells capable of synthesizing melanin. This creates a protective barrier from ultraviolet light reaching deeper into the layers of the skin. The pale pink melanin granules are stored in the core of keratin cells. UVA darkens the melanin,

     Distinguishing melanoma may seem hard to do, but is not so once a person is informed on what they should be looking for. They may appear similar to moles, and may be blue or black in color. Though they will usually lack the symmetry and border regularity of a common mole, and may have variance in their coloring. Melanomas can either appear suddenly, or develop slowly near a preexisting mole. In rare cases, melanomas may form on top of previously formed moles or birthmarks, but will also come with the effects of pain, itching, or bleeding. These moles may begin to exhibit new and/or strange characteristics such as

Jablonski and Chaplin describe melanin as nature's sunscreen. They also define melanin as “a large organic molecule that serves the dual purpose of physically and chemically filtering the harmful effects of UV radiation; it absorbs LTV rays, causing them to lose energy, and it neutralizes harmful chemicals called free radicals that form in the skin after damage by UV radiation.” Anthropologists and biologists had rationally believed that people living in tropical areas had higher concentrations of melanin in the skin to serve as protection against skin cancer. James E. Cleaver of the University of California in San Francisco refuted this idea. He stated that most skin cancers appeared later in life so in conclusion the amount of melanin that a dark skinned person produced had no relation to skin protection. Cleaver showed that diseases like xeroderma pigmentosum, a disorder in which the ability to repair damage caused by UV light is deficient, and melanomas, a serious type of skin cancer that develops in the cells that produce melanin, can be rare and even fatal. The authors ended up questioning the role that melanin played in human

Have you ever felt the “false sense of security that [you] may not feel under direct sunlight” from a tanning bed (Jeffrey)? Your body relaxes, you feel serene, and you get a golden glow. Some teens strive for this feeling...and the tan. Tanning is the skin's response to injury, according to Arielle Kauvar, M. D. The exposure of UV rays over time can cause skin cancer. Skin cancer is the growth of abnormal growth of skin cells that forms in the tissue of the skin (Skin Cancer). Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, can come from UV rays. From 1998- 2008, the number of cases of Melanoma has increased by about

Indoor tanning exposes users to two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB. UVA rays are suspected to be linked to the development of melanoma and other skin cancers. Worldwide, there are more skin cancer cases due to indoor tanning than there are lung cancer cases due to smoking. Tanning causes damage to the DNA in our skin cells, which leads to abnormal growth that could be benign or malignant. Tanning also weakens our immune system which compromises our body's capability of fighting against malignancies and cancer cells. There are two types of skin cancer that can be caused by tanning- basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. These types are treatable with early detection. Development of melanoma can be fatal."In the US alone, 419,254 cases of skin cancer can be attributed to indoor tanning. Out of this number, 6,199 are melanoma cases" (Skin Cancer Foundation). It has been found that younger tanners are at higher risk of developing skin cancers from tanning, but with the high levels of UV exposure, any tanner should take

It develops in the melanocytes, which are cells that produce melanin that gives the skin its pigment or color and protects tissues from ultra violet radiation. Dark skinned people have more melanin than light skinned people do. For this reason, Melanomia is more frequent in light skinned people. (“Detailed description “, 2000, P.2

A major function of melanin is to act as a defensive barrier of the skin against radiation damage. Ultraviolet light between the wavelengths 280-320nm (UV-B) causes sunburn and damages the skin on nonpigmented peoples. Exposure to this degree of light causes their skin to become dry, leathery, and wrinkled in appearance similar to that associated with aging. This can be seen in Whites living in Australia and South Africa, where ultraviolet light intensity is high because of the relative latitude or closeness to the equator.

Spring is finally here, and Spring Break and the Senior Prom are around corner. The teenagers and the college kids are planning a drive to the tanning salons or a day at the beach. The media has instilled in women that tan skin is a sign of youth and sex appeal. Some people go to the tanning salons and others spend hours outside in the sun to achieve the sun goddess look. Many don’t realize the dangers that come with the sun or a box with light bulbs that has more UVA radiation than the sun does. From fair to dark skin, people are being destroyed by the same UVA radiation that gives people that “sexy glow”. Being in the sun is inevitable, but people can still protect their skin from many forms of skin cancer by doing the simplest things.

2. Melanoma is also more common in people who live in areas with large amounts of UV