The Biology of Skin Color

Skin color is something that has baffled scientists for centuries. As we look around ourselves, we find tremendous amounts of variation in skin color, from black to brown to white. There is an entire spectrum of skin color to be found. Why does this variation exist? In this episode, we dive into the evolutionary origins of skin color. We will begin our discussion by exploring melanin and why it is important to humans. We will then move onto a discussion of how and why we are able to observe such a wide variety of skin tones. Finally, we will end the episode with a conversation on the importance of understanding skin color and how this knowledge can be applied to medicine.