At the base of the epidermis, there are cells capable of synthesizing pigment, called melanocytes. These cells have extensions with vesicles that reach the upper layers of the epidermis and release the pigment produced into the cells. Pigment is essential for the skin because it absorbs UV radiation, protecting the genetic material in the cell nuclei from damage.
In the process known as melanogenesis, the pigment melanin is formed in our skin from the amino acid tyrosine. Melanin occurs in the human epidermis in two variants: black or brown eumelanin and orange-red pheomelanin. The proportions between the amounts of these two types of melanin and the way they are distributed in the epidermis determine the color of our skin, hair, and the irises of our eyes.