melanosome

American  

[muh-lan-uh-sohm, mel-uh-nuh-] / məˈlæn əˌsoʊm, ˈmɛl ə nə- /

noun

Cell Biology.

1. an organelle in melanocytes that synthesizes and stores melanin.

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Etymology

Origin of melanosome

First recorded in 1935–40; melano- + -some ³

Example Sentences

Paleontologists have recently questioned earlier hypotheses about which melanosome shapes create which particular shades.

From Scientific American • Apr. 20, 2022

Though this area of paleontology is still new, previous pterosaur studies only found homogenous melanosome shapes in their tissues.

From Scientific American • Apr. 20, 2022

To figure out the colors of Anchiornis feathers, Mr. Vinther and his colleagues turned to Matthew Shawkey, a University of Akron biologist who has made detailed studies of melanosome patterns in living birds.

From New York Times • Feb. 5, 2010