Question

Explain the relationships and trade-offs among amounts of skin pigmentation, Vitamin D production, and protection from UV radiation.

Answer 1

Ultraviolet radiation leads to DNA mutations in the melanocytes, which are skin cells that contain melanin. Melanin level is inversely associated with the ability of skin cells to produce vitamin D

Step-by-step explanation:

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a well-known environmental factor that causes mutations in the DNA of melanocytes, which are skin cells that produce melanin. Moreover, melanin is a protective pigment whose main function is to block UV radiation, thereby protecting the body from DNA damage and, consequently, from cancer (skin cancer). Abundant melanin levels can decrease the ability of the body to synthesize vitamin D, the only vitamin that can be synthesized with sunlight. In consequence, darker skin is associated with a higher risk of having vitamin D deficiency.