Question

Pheomelanin is the type of melanin that produces:

a) red hair color
b) red/orange hair color
c) brown/black hair color
d) brown/orange hair color

Answer 1

Pheomelanin is the melanin type responsible for producing red/orange hair color, which varies in shade and is influenced by genetic factors.

Step-by-step explanation:

The type of melanin responsible for giving hair its color is divided into two categories: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eumelanin comes in black and brown forms and generally leads to darker hair colors. On the other hand, pheomelanin is associated with red or orange hair color. This means that the correct answer to the student's question is b) red/orange hair color. Pheomelanin's red pigment can vary in shade, contributing to the different variations of red and orange seen in human hair. Melanin production, influenced by genetic factors, also decreases with age, leading to the graying and whitening of hair.