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[[File:Micrograph of keratinocytes, basal cells and melanocytes in the epidermis.jpg|thumb|Micrograph of the epidermis, with melanin labeled at left.]]
'''Melanin''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɛ|l|ə|n|ɪ|n|audio=melanin-pronunciation.ogg}}; {{etymology|grc|''{{wikt-lang|grc|μέλας}}'' ({{grc-transl|μέλας}})|black, dark}}) consist of oligomers or polymers arranged in a manner which among other functions provide the [[Biological pigment|pigments]] of many [[organism]]s. Melanin pigments are produced in a specialized group of cells known as [[melanocytes]]. They have been described as "among the last remaining biological frontiers with the unknown
There are five basic types of melanin: [[eumelanin]], [[pheomelanin]], [[neuromelanin]], [[allomelanin]] and [[pyomelanin]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Cao|first1=Wei|last2=Zhou|first2=Xuhao|last3=McCallum|first3=Naneki C.|last4=Hu|first4=Ziying|last5=Ni|first5=Qing Zhe|last6=Kapoor|first6=Utkarsh|last7=Heil|first7=Christian M.|last8=Cay|first8=Kristine S.|last9=Zand|first9=Tara|last10=Mantanona|first10=Alex J.|last11=Jayaraman|first11=Arthi|date=9 February 2021|title=Unraveling the Structure and Function of Melanin through Synthesis|url=https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.0c12322|journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society|volume=143|issue=7|pages=2622–2637|doi=10.1021/jacs.0c12322|pmid=33560127|issn=0002-7863|hdl=1854/LU-8699336|s2cid=231872855|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Eumelanin is produced through a multistage chemical process known as [[melanogenesis]], where the [[oxidation]] of the [[amino acid]] [[tyrosine]] is followed by [[polymerization]]. Eumelanin is the most common type. Pheomelanin, which is produced when melanocytes are malfunctioning due to derivation of the gene to its recessive format, is a [[cysteine]]-derivative that contains poly[[benzothiazine]] portions that are largely responsible for the [[red]] or [[yellow]] tint given to some skin or hair colors. Neuromelanin is found in the brain. Research has been undertaken to investigate its efficacy in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as [[Parkinson's]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Haining|first1=Robert L. |last2=Achat-Mendes|first2=Cindy |date=March 2017|title=Neuromelanin, one of the most overlooked molecules in modern medicine, is not a spectator|journal=Neural Regeneration Research |volume=12|issue=3|pages=372–375|doi=10.4103/1673-5374.202928 |pmc=5399705|pmid=28469642 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Allomelanin and pyomelanin are two types of nitrogen-free melanin.
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