melanocyte
noun
ˈme-lə-nō-\
Definition of melanocyte
: an epidermal cell that produces melanin
Examples of melanocyte in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Over time, these melanocytes progressively produce less pigment. — Amanda Etkind, Allure, "My Hair Started Going Gray When I Was Just 20 — and I'm Totally Embracing It," 6 Sep. 2018 The worst-case scenario occurs when a skin cell, like a melanocyte, mutates and becomes cancerous—but UV rays also cause free-radical damage in the skin, which can lead to premature aging, sun spots, and immune-system damage. — Brennan Kilbane, GQ, "This Magical New Pill Reduces Long-Term Sun Damage," 7 June 2018 Melanoma, which starts in those pigment-providing melanocytes, can be much more lethal. — Rochaun Meadows-fernandez, SELF, "Why Are Black People Less Likely to Get Melanoma But More Likely to Die From It?," 2 Feb. 2018 When these melanocytes go into overdrive and produce too much color, the dark spots can occur. — Susan Brickell, Health.com, "This Blogger Applies Sunscreen Like a Mustache to Prevent Melasma—Does That Really Work?," 9 Apr. 2018 Melanoma is a cancer that originates in melanocytes, the cells that produce the skin-color pigment melanin. — Scientific American, "How Cancer Can Become Therapy-Resistant," 7 Apr. 2018 According to the Mayo Clinic, vitiligo occurs when pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) die or stop producing melanin — the pigment that gives your skin, hair and eyes color. — Melanie Dadourian, Fox News, "A woman with a blotchy skin disease finds the courage to go makeup-free after 30 years of 'wearing a mask'," 27 Mar. 2018 General vitiligo is believed to be an autoimmune condition, which means the immune system mistakenly attacks pigment-producing cells (melanocytes). — Serena Gordon, chicagotribune.com, "New treatment could be 'breakthrough' for vitiligo," 8 Feb. 2018 High temps — anything above 90 degrees — spur inflammation and free radicals (oxygen molecules that mess with normal cell function), kicking pigment-making melanocyte cells into overdrive. — Krista Bennett Demaio, Cosmopolitan, "9 Beauty Fails That Mess With Your Skin (and How to Fix Them)," 2 Jan. 2015These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'melanocyte.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for melanocyte
melanocyte
noun
ˈmel-ə-nō-
\
Medical Definition of melanocyte
: an epidermal cell that produces melanin — compare melanoblast
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