Pigmentation is a biological process by which cells synthesize, package, and distribute pigments that confer color to tissues, organs, or whole organisms, typically via specialized cells such as melanocytes, chromatophores, or pigment-containing plastids. It involves regulated pathways of pigment biosynthesis (e.g., melanin, carotenoids, ommochromes), intracellular transport and sequestration within organelles, and spatial-temporal control of pigment cell differentiation and activity. Pigmentation contributes to photoprotection, camouflage, signaling, and physiological regulation, and is modulated by genetic programs, developmental cues, endocrine factors, and environmental variables such as light exposure, temperature, and nutrient availability.
Real tans come from UV-triggered pigment production in living skin; that same UV exposure increases the risk of skin cancer.
Molecular & Computational biology
15 hours ago
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Over the past 30 years, Swiss barn owls have become more reddish-brown and more heavily spotted. By analyzing the genomes of more than 3,000 birds, scientists at the University of Lausanne identified the genetic variants ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 21, 2026
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The white-tipped feathers found in many chicken breeds may look like variations of the same decorative pattern, but new research shows that they do not all share the same genetic origin.
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 13, 2026
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Tiny, striped zebrafish are helping scientists trace how a gene linked to albinism influences eye development, work that may ultimately help explain some of the vision problems experienced by people with the condition and ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Sep 28, 2026
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The pigments that give beets their red color may have helped a major group of flowering plants repeatedly adapt to dry environments, setting the stage for the evolution of traits that allowed plants to adapt to some of the ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 3, 2026
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University of Missouri researchers are turning a unique variety of corn into an effective natural alternative to artificial food dyes.
Biotechnology
Jul 27, 2026
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White barn owls are effective killing machines. They fly silently through the night air and swoop down on unsuspecting prey with their sharp talons. But they have something you would think goes against being a stealth predator: ...
From snow white and jet black to golden brown, domestic chickens display a wider range of plumage colors than almost any other livestock species. A new international study, with researchers from Leipzig University playing ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 12, 2026
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Scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have uncovered for the first time the "ingenious" biological strategies that allow blue-tailed damselflies to produce strikingly vivid, angle-independent colors. The ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 9, 2026
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Bright colors in animals are beautiful but often considered risky because they are more obvious to predators. However, conspicuous colors can also serve defensively, signaling toxicity or even luring predators away from more ...
Plants & Animals
May 29, 2026
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