The biology of pigmentation

Genes are one of the most important control mechanisms of the process of melanin pigmentation and, therefore, changes in pigmentation are important markers of genetic aberrations. Melanin pigmentation is related to four biologic processes: 1) formation of melanosomes in melanocytes; 2) melanization of melanosomes in melanocytes; 3) secretion of melanosomes into keratinocytes and 4) transport (by keratinocytes) of melanosomes within lysosome-like organelles.