Science Advances. The skin of people who have red hair and other species with red fur have pigment-producing cells called melanocytes.
This cell contains a variant form of the melanocortin 1 receptor. The cell surface houses this receptor, and if circulating hormones called melanocortins activate it, pigment changes occur.
It triggers the melanocyte to produce brown or black melanin pigment instead of yellow or red.For this study, Fisher and his colleagues wanted to investigate why redheads have a higher pain tolerance.
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