Biological Perspectives on Human Pigmentation

Biological Perspectives on Human Pigmentation PDF Author: Ashley H. Robins
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521020206
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
Skin color is perhaps the most decisive and abused physical characteristic of humankind. This book presents a multidisciplinary overview of how and why human populations vary so markedly in their skin color. The biological aspects of the pigment cell and its production of melanin are reviewed. The functions of melanin in the skin, brain, eye and ear are considered, and the common clinical abnormalities of pigmentation, such as albinism, are described and illustrated. Detailed reflectance data from worldwide surveys of skin color are also presented. Next, historical and contemporary backgrounds of the phenomenon are explored in relation to the so-called color problem in society. Finally, the possible evolutionary forces that shape human pigmentation are assessed.

Biological Perspectives on Human Pigmentation

Biological Perspectives on Human Pigmentation PDF Author: Ashley H. Robins
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521020206
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 268

Get Book Here

Book Description
Skin color is perhaps the most decisive and abused physical characteristic of humankind. This book presents a multidisciplinary overview of how and why human populations vary so markedly in their skin color. The biological aspects of the pigment cell and its production of melanin are reviewed. The functions of melanin in the skin, brain, eye and ear are considered, and the common clinical abnormalities of pigmentation, such as albinism, are described and illustrated. Detailed reflectance data from worldwide surveys of skin color are also presented. Next, historical and contemporary backgrounds of the phenomenon are explored in relation to the so-called color problem in society. Finally, the possible evolutionary forces that shape human pigmentation are assessed.

In the Light of Evolution

In the Light of Evolution PDF Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences address scientific topics of broad and current interest, cutting across the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Each year, four or five such colloquia are scheduled, typically two days in length and international in scope. Colloquia are organized by a member of the Academy, often with the assistance of an organizing committee, and feature presentations by leading scientists in the field and discussions with a hundred or more researchers with an interest in the topic. Colloquia presentations are recorded and posted on the National Academy of Sciences Sackler colloquia website and published on CD-ROM. These Colloquia are made possible by a generous gift from Mrs. Jill Sackler, in memory of her husband, Arthur M. Sackler.

Biological Perspectives on Human Pigmentation

Biological Perspectives on Human Pigmentation PDF Author: Ashley H. Robins
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521365147
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
A multidisciplinary overview of how and why human populations vary so markedly in their skin colour.

Living Color

Living Color PDF Author: Nina G. Jablonski
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520953770
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 285

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Book Description
Living Color is the first book to investigate the social history of skin color from prehistory to the present, showing how our body’s most visible trait influences our social interactions in profound and complex ways. In a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion, Nina G. Jablonski begins with the biology and evolution of skin pigmentation, explaining how skin color changed as humans moved around the globe. She explores the relationship between melanin pigment and sunlight, and examines the consequences of rapid migrations, vacations, and other lifestyle choices that can create mismatches between our skin color and our environment. Richly illustrated, this book explains why skin color has come to be a biological trait with great social meaning— a product of evolution perceived by culture. It considers how we form impressions of others, how we create and use stereotypes, how negative stereotypes about dark skin developed and have played out through history—including being a basis for the transatlantic slave trade. Offering examples of how attitudes about skin color differ in the U.S., Brazil, India, and South Africa, Jablonski suggests that a knowledge of the evolution and social importance of skin color can help eliminate color-based discrimination and racism.

Human Biology

Human Biology PDF Author: Sara Stinson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470179643
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 887

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Book Description
This comprehensive introduction to the field of human biology covers all the major areas of the field: genetic variation, variation related to climate, infectious and non-infectious diseases, aging, growth, nutrition, and demography. Written by four expert authors working in close collaboration, this second edition has been thoroughly updated to provide undergraduate and graduate students with two new chapters: one on race and culture and their ties to human biology, and the other a concluding summary chapter highlighting the integration and intersection of the topics covered in the book.

Rheumaderm

Rheumaderm PDF Author: Carmel Mallia
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1461548578
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 539

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Book Description
This book represents the proceedings of a conference, Rheumaderm, that was held in December 1997. The meeting was a dialogue between the specialties of Rheumatology and Dermatology, exploring and discussing areas of common interest. The aim was to present problems common to both specialties, thereby emphasising the team approach to such problems and helping to combine various skills.

Skin

Skin PDF Author: Nina G. Jablonski
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520275896
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
"Our intimate connection with the world, skin protects us while advertising our health, our identity, and our individuality. This synthetic overview, written with a poetic touch and taking many intriguing side excursions, is a guidebook to the pliable covering that makes us who we are. This book celebrates the evolution of three unique attributes of human skin: its naked sweatiness, its distinctive sepia rainbow of colors, and its remarkable range of decorations. Author Jablonski begins with a look at skin's structure and functions and then tours its three-hundred-million-year evolution, delving into such topics as the importance of touch and how the skin reflects and affects emotions. She examines the modern human obsession with age-related changes in skin, especially wrinkles, then turns to skin as a canvas for self-expression, exploring our use of cosmetics, body paint, tattooing, and scarification"--Publisher's description.

Race and Racism in Theory and Practice

Race and Racism in Theory and Practice PDF Author: Berel Lang
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 9780847696932
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 284

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Book Description
This collection of original essays by scholars from a diverse range of fields, examines issues of race in a variety of historical and geographical settings, ranging from classical Greece to the contemporary Americas, Europe and Asia. The authors provide an important perspective on race both in its theoretical origins and in its actual appearances while paying close attention to the ways in which the study of race itself has been carried on or ignored by various disciplines.

Melanins and Melanogenesis

Melanins and Melanogenesis PDF Author: Giuseppe Prota
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0323139396
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
This volume covers all aspects of melanin pigmentation, providing a concise, comprehensive picture of new knowledge gained at the frontiers of research. It draws heavily on the author's 30-year activity in the field and his continuing work with specialists of widely diverse disciplines. The core of the volume deals with the structure, physicochemical properties, and biosynthesis of the major classes of melanin pigments, including neuromelanins. Further discussions include the biology of the various types of pigment-producing cells, the structure and mode of action of tyrosinase, and the chemistry of urinary melanogens and their biomedical applications as metabolic markers of melanocyte activity, especially for the follow-up of malignant melanoma. Finally, the volume considers progress in the photobiology and photochemistry of melanins, with special emphasis on the controversial role of these pigments in skin photoprotection. Melanins and Melanogenesis is ideally suited as a basic guide for newcomers, and a handy source of specific information for practitioners in academic, medical, and industrial settings.

The Pigmentary System

The Pigmentary System PDF Author: James J. Nordlund
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 140515733X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 1333

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Book Description
The most comprehensive and integrated book on pigmentation The Pigmentary System, Second Edition, gathers into one convenient, all-inclusive volume a wealth of information about the science of pigmentation and all the common and rare clinical disorders that affect skin color. The two parts, physiology (science) and pathophysiology (clinical disorders), are complementary and annotated so that those reading one part can easily refer to relevant sections in the other. For the clinician interested in common or rare pigment disorders or the principles of teaching about such disorders, this book provides an immediate and complete resource on the biologic bases for these disorders. For the scientist studying the biology of melanocyte function, the book provides a list of disorders that are related to basic biological functions of melanocytes. New features of this Second Edition include: Completely new section on the basic science of pigmentation – explaining the integration of melanocyte functions with other epidermal cells and with various organ systems like the immune system New chapters on pigmentary disorders related to intestinal diseases, the malignant melanocyte, benign proliferations of melanocytes (nevi) and phototherapy with narrow band UV All clinical chapters include the latest genetic findings and advances in therapy More than 400 color images of virtually all clinical disorders The book is ideal for all dermatologists and especially those interested in disorders of pigmentation. It is of particular use for pediatric dermatologists and medical geneticists caring for patients with congenital and genetic pigmentary disorders. This authoritative volume will fill the gap for dermatology training programs that do not have local experts on pigmentation. Basic and cosmetic scientists studying pigmentation and melanocytes will find the science and clinical correlations very useful in showing human significance and relevance to the results of their studies.