melanocyte

American  

[muh-lan-uh-sahyt, mel-uh-nuh-] / məˈlæn əˌsaɪt, ˈmɛl ə nə- /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. a cell producing and containing melanin.

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melanocyte British  

/ ˈmɛlənəʊˌsaɪt /

noun

1. anatomy zoology a cell, usually in the epidermis, that contains melanin

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melanocyte Scientific  

/ mĕl′ə-nō-sīt′,mə-lăn′ə- /

1. An epidermal cell that synthesizes melanin.

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Etymology

Origin of melanocyte

First recorded in 1885–90; melano- + -cyte

Example Sentences

What the teams found was that in the cells responsible for giving a cat its skin, hair follicles and eyes their colour - melanocytes - one gene, ARHGAP36, was much more active.

From BBC

Using skin samples collected from variously colored cats, the researchers homed in on a mutation on the X chromosome that increases the amount of a protein called Arhgap36 only in pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.

From Science Magazine

They began testing to see if it could benefit melanocytes, the skin cells that produce melanin, the dark pigment in question.

From Los Angeles Times

Mutations that make Mc1r less active cause melanocytes to get “stuck” producing the light pigment.

From Science Magazine

Melanoma arising from pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

From Science Daily