Anatomy & SciencesQuestion 463 of 484

Hair color is determined by two melanin pigments produced by melanocytes in the hair bulb. Which pairing is correct?

a.Eumelanin produces red/yellow tones; pheomelanin produces brown/black tones
b.Eumelanin (a larger, oval-shaped granule) produces brown to black tones; pheomelanin (a smaller, more granular pigment) produces red to yellow tones; their relative ratio explains the spectrum from black to platinum
c.Both eumelanin and pheomelanin produce identical brown only; tone differences come entirely from the cuticle
d.Both are produced in the cuticle, not in the bulb, and only after age 30

Explanation

Two melanins are made in the hair bulb by melanocytes adjacent to the dermal papilla. EUMELANIN is the larger oval-shaped pigment responsible for brown and black tones; the more eumelanin and the larger the molecules, the darker the hair. PHEOMELANIN is the smaller, granular pigment responsible for red, orange, and yellow tones. Every hair has BOTH, in varying ratios; that ratio (plus melanin quantity overall) produces the entire natural spectrum. Knowing eumelanin breaks down first during lifting explains why lifted hair always pulls through warm intermediate stages. Cosmetologists apply this under the general competence duties at Bus. & Prof. Code §7320.

Law Reference: Bus. & Prof. Code §7320

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