How do we get our skin color?

Last updated over 5 years ago

31 questions

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How do we get our skin color?

Last updated over 5 years ago

31 questions

1

Before you begin, think about your skin. It covers your entire body! What questions do you
have about skin and skin color?

Watch the video once all the way through, then we'll go back through each 'stop point' in the interactive at that link.

Stop number 1: Hover over the first verticle line: "What is Skin?" and click 'more info'
Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it to answer the questions below:

1

Draggable item		Corresponding Item

1

What is the connection between skin, sunlight, and Vitamin D?

1

Case study: you are a pediatrician and one of your young patients is at risk for rickets. Outline a treatment you would recommend to the child and their parents, and justify why:

Go back up to the interactive at the top of the page and click on the second verticle line and click "more info"

Stop Number 2: What are skin cells? 

Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it!

1

Looking at the timeline of evolution, what else do you notice changing as hair gets less dense in populations?

2

What was the primary advantage of having less hair for early homo species? How do you think that helped early homo species survive to reproduce more effectively?

Go back up to the interactive at the top of the page and click on the third verticle line and click "more info"

Stop Number 3: What is Melanin?
Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it!

1

Write in the word that goes with each blank:

1

What are the two primary types of melanin and how do they differ?

1

Explain how the amount of eumelanin and number of melanosomes differ between a
person with lighter color skin and a person with darker color skin.

1

3

Overall, human DNA on the African Continent is the most diverse of any continent, but the MC1R gene is less diverse in populations in equatorial Africa. Why might that be?

Go back up to the interactive at the top of the page and click on the fourth verticle line and click "more info"

Stop Number 4: How does Melanin protect cells? 

1

Why does the body need to protect itself from UV light?

1

Explain how the body uses melanocytes to protect itself:

Note: saying how something happens involves describing all the steps

1

The answer to the multiple choice above is (C) - prove to me that you understand this process by describing how UV radiation causes mutations in DNA:

Last stop: Go to the final vertical white line in the animation and click "more info"

Stop Number 5: How does sunlight cause tanning?

1

What are the positive and negative effects of UVB exposure?

1

Play with the map of the world by sliding the double-arrowed circle.

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

1

4

Explain how the relationship between skin color and UV radiation provides evidence that
this trait evolved by natural selection:

1

Watch the last video and answer the question: How does sunlight cause tanning?

1

Your friend, who tans easily, argues that it’s great to get a tan because darker skin
pigmentation offers lots more protection from damaging UV radiation, so he’s keeping
himself safe. Write a response to convince him otherwise:

Before you begin, think about your skin. It covers your entire body! What questions do you
have about skin and skin color?

Watch the video once all the way through, then we'll go back through each 'stop point' in the interactive at that link.

Stop number 1: Hover over the first verticle line: "What is Skin?" and click 'more info'
Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it to answer the questions below:

Match the 'skin layer' with the description of its function:

Draggable item		Corresponding Item
Dermis		The layer that protects the body from most physical objects (except certain gases) and produces vitamin D.
Hypodermis		The layer that helps the body control its temperature using the vessels, glands, and nerve endings within it
Epidermis		The layer that insulates the body with fat cells that can also be used for energy when needed

Why is vitamin D important to our health? Select all that apply:

We use Vitamin D for energy

Vitamin D prevents rickets

Vitamin D is necessary for reproduction

Vitamin D deficiency can cause fatigue and depression

A lack of Vitamin D can make your bones softer

What is the connection between skin, sunlight, and Vitamin D?

Case study: you are a pediatrician and one of your young patients is at risk for rickets. Outline a treatment you would recommend to the child and their parents, and justify why:

Go back up to the interactive at the top of the page and click on the second verticle line and click "more info"

Stop Number 2: What are skin cells? 

Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it!

Re-order the items below into the correct life cycle of a "Keratinocyte:"

Keratinocytes form from stem cells at the bottom of the epidermis
Keratinocytes move upward while increasing keratin production
Keratinocytes stop dividing
Keratinocytes die
Keratinocytes keep the body waterproof until they fall off

Where do keratinocytes get their name?

Professor Keratin discovered them

Skin produces vitamin K using Keratinocytes

'Keratin' is a structual protein, and the suffix 'cyte' means its a cell 

Select all the true statements about Melanocytes

They must be a cell since they have 'cyte' in the name

There's a melanocyte paired with each keratinocyte

Melanocytes produce melanin, which affects skin color

Melanocytes have projections that move through the skin to deliver melanosomes to different areas

Melanocytes live in the hypodermis

Approximately when did our ancestors become mostly hairless?

~7 million years ago

~3 million years ago

~2 million years ago

Started ~2 million years ago, hair faded slowly in populations of the genus homo

Just in the last 100,000 years

Looking at the timeline of evolution, what else do you notice changing as hair gets less dense in populations?

What was the primary advantage of having less hair for early homo species? How do you think that helped early homo species survive to reproduce more effectively?

Go back up to the interactive at the top of the page and click on the third verticle line and click "more info"

Stop Number 3: What is Melanin?
Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it!

1

Write in the word that goes with each blank:

1

What are the two primary types of melanin and how do they differ?

Explain how the amount of eumelanin and number of melanosomes differ between a
person with lighter color skin and a person with darker color skin.

Which type of melanin is produced by the version of the MC1R gene (i.e., the MC1R allele) that is most prevalent among people of African ancestry??

Melanocytes

Melanosomes

Pheomelanin

Eumelanin

Overall, human DNA on the African Continent is the most diverse of any continent, but the MC1R gene is less diverse in populations in equatorial Africa. Why might that be?

Go back up to the interactive at the top of the page and click on the fourth verticle line and click "more info"

Stop Number 4: How does Melanin protect cells? 

Why does the body need to protect itself from UV light?

Explain how the body uses melanocytes to protect itself:

Note: saying how something happens involves describing all the steps

"Mutations" are "Errors in the DNA sequence" - this happens when...

A) UV photons hit DNA

B) pyrimidine dimers are formed

C) the cell's repair machinery removes the pyrimidine dimers

D) an individual gets cancer

The answer to the multiple choice above is (C) - prove to me that you understand this process by describing how UV radiation causes mutations in DNA:

Last stop: Go to the final vertical white line in the animation and click "more info"

Stop Number 5: How does sunlight cause tanning?

What are the positive and negative effects of UVB exposure?

Play with the map of the world by sliding the double-arrowed circle.

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Which of these is an environmental advantage to having darker skin color?

More sweat glands to cool the body

Able to absorb more Vitamin D

Less hair helps the body stay cool

Better protected from UV radiation

Which of these is an environmental advantage to having lighter skin color?

Less hair helps the body stay cool

Better protected from UV radiation

Able to absorb more Vitamin D

More sweat glands to cool the body

Explain how the relationship between skin color and UV radiation provides evidence that
this trait evolved by natural selection:

Watch the last video and answer the question: How does sunlight cause tanning?

Your friend, who tans easily, argues that it’s great to get a tan because darker skin
pigmentation offers lots more protection from damaging UV radiation, so he’s keeping
himself safe. Write a response to convince him otherwise:

Match the 'skin layer' with the description of its function:

Dermis

The layer that protects the body from most physical objects (except certain gases) and produces vitamin D. 

Hypodermis

The layer that helps the body control its temperature using the  vessels, glands, and nerve endings within it

Epidermis

The layer that insulates the body with fat cells that can also be used for energy when needed

Why is vitamin D important to our health? Select all that apply:

We use Vitamin D for energy

Vitamin D prevents rickets

Vitamin D is necessary for reproduction

Vitamin D deficiency can cause fatigue and depression

A lack of Vitamin D can make your bones softer

Re-order the items below into the correct life cycle of a "Keratinocyte:"

Keratinocytes form from stem cells at the bottom of the epidermis

Keratinocytes move upward while increasing keratin production

Keratinocytes stop dividing

Keratinocytes die

Keratinocytes keep the body waterproof until they fall off

Where do keratinocytes get their name?

Professor Keratin discovered them

Skin produces vitamin K using Keratinocytes

'Keratin' is a structual protein, and the suffix 'cyte' means its a cell 

Select all the true statements about Melanocytes

They must be a cell since they have 'cyte' in the name

There's a melanocyte paired with each keratinocyte

Melanocytes produce melanin, which affects skin color

Melanocytes have projections that move through the skin to deliver melanosomes to different areas

Melanocytes live in the hypodermis

Approximately when did our ancestors become mostly hairless?

~7 million years ago

~3 million years ago

~2 million years ago

Started ~2 million years ago, hair faded slowly in populations of the genus homo

Just in the last 100,000 years

Which type of melanin is produced by the version of the MC1R gene (i.e., the MC1R allele) that is most prevalent among people of African ancestry??

Melanocytes

Melanosomes

Pheomelanin

Eumelanin

"Mutations" are "Errors in the DNA sequence" - this happens when...

A) UV photons hit DNA

B) pyrimidine dimers are formed

C) the cell's repair machinery removes the pyrimidine dimers

D) an individual gets cancer

Fill in the blank:

longer

shorter

higher

lower

Fill in the blank:

longer

shorter

higher

lower

Which of these is an environmental advantage to having darker skin color?

More sweat glands to cool the body

Able to absorb more Vitamin D

Less hair helps the body stay cool

Better protected from UV radiation

Which of these is an environmental advantage to having lighter skin color?

Less hair helps the body stay cool

Better protected from UV radiation

Able to absorb more Vitamin D

More sweat glands to cool the body

Fill in the blank:

longer

shorter

higher

lower

Fill in the blank:

longer

shorter

higher

lower

How do we get our skin color?

How do we get our skin color?

Before you begin, think about your skin. It covers your entire body! What questions do youhave about skin and skin color?

What is the connection between skin, sunlight, and Vitamin D?

Case study: you are a pediatrician and one of your young patients is at risk for rickets. Outline a treatment you would recommend to the child and their parents, and justify why:

Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it!

Looking at the timeline of evolution, what else do you notice changing as hair gets less dense in populations?

What was the primary advantage of having less hair for early homo species? How do you think that helped early homo species survive to reproduce more effectively?

Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it!

Write in the word that goes with each blank:

What are the two primary types of melanin and how do they differ?

Explain how the amount of eumelanin and number of melanosomes differ between aperson with lighter color skin and a person with darker color skin.

Overall, human DNA on the African Continent is the most diverse of any continent, but the MC1R gene is less diverse in populations in equatorial Africa. Why might that be?

Why does the body need to protect itself from UV light?

Explain how the body uses melanocytes to protect itself:Note: saying how something happens involves describing all the steps

The answer to the multiple choice above is (C) - prove to me that you understand this process by describing how UV radiation causes mutations in DNA:

What are the positive and negative effects of UVB exposure?

Play with the map of the world by sliding the double-arrowed circle.What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Explain how the relationship between skin color and UV radiation provides evidence thatthis trait evolved by natural selection:

Watch the last video and answer the question: How does sunlight cause tanning?

Your friend, who tans easily, argues that it’s great to get a tan because darker skinpigmentation offers lots more protection from damaging UV radiation, so he’s keepinghimself safe. Write a response to convince him otherwise:

Before you begin, think about your skin. It covers your entire body! What questions do youhave about skin and skin color?

Match the 'skin layer' with the description of its function:

Why is vitamin D important to our health? Select all that apply:

What is the connection between skin, sunlight, and Vitamin D?

Case study: you are a pediatrician and one of your young patients is at risk for rickets. Outline a treatment you would recommend to the child and their parents, and justify why:

Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it!

Re-order the items below into the correct life cycle of a "Keratinocyte:"

Where do keratinocytes get their name?

Select all the true statements about Melanocytes

Approximately when did our ancestors become mostly hairless?

Looking at the timeline of evolution, what else do you notice changing as hair gets less dense in populations?

What was the primary advantage of having less hair for early homo species? How do you think that helped early homo species survive to reproduce more effectively?

Make sure you click around the interactive to explore it!

Write in the word that goes with each blank:

What are the two primary types of melanin and how do they differ?

Explain how the amount of eumelanin and number of melanosomes differ between aperson with lighter color skin and a person with darker color skin.

Which type of melanin is produced by the version of the MC1R gene (i.e., the MC1R allele) that is most prevalent among people of African ancestry??

Overall, human DNA on the African Continent is the most diverse of any continent, but the MC1R gene is less diverse in populations in equatorial Africa. Why might that be?

Why does the body need to protect itself from UV light?

Explain how the body uses melanocytes to protect itself:Note: saying how something happens involves describing all the steps

"Mutations" are "Errors in the DNA sequence" - this happens when...

The answer to the multiple choice above is (C) - prove to me that you understand this process by describing how UV radiation causes mutations in DNA:

What are the positive and negative effects of UVB exposure?

Play with the map of the world by sliding the double-arrowed circle.What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Which of these is an environmental advantage to having darker skin color?

Which of these is an environmental advantage to having lighter skin color?

Explain how the relationship between skin color and UV radiation provides evidence thatthis trait evolved by natural selection:

Watch the last video and answer the question: How does sunlight cause tanning?

Your friend, who tans easily, argues that it’s great to get a tan because darker skinpigmentation offers lots more protection from damaging UV radiation, so he’s keepinghimself safe. Write a response to convince him otherwise:

Fill in the blank:

Fill in the blank:

Before you begin, think about your skin. It covers your entire body! What questions do you
have about skin and skin color?

Explain how the amount of eumelanin and number of melanosomes differ between a
person with lighter color skin and a person with darker color skin.

Explain how the body uses melanocytes to protect itself:

Note: saying how something happens involves describing all the steps

Play with the map of the world by sliding the double-arrowed circle.

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Explain how the relationship between skin color and UV radiation provides evidence that
this trait evolved by natural selection:

Your friend, who tans easily, argues that it’s great to get a tan because darker skin
pigmentation offers lots more protection from damaging UV radiation, so he’s keeping
himself safe. Write a response to convince him otherwise:

Before you begin, think about your skin. It covers your entire body! What questions do you
have about skin and skin color?

Explain how the amount of eumelanin and number of melanosomes differ between a
person with lighter color skin and a person with darker color skin.

Explain how the body uses melanocytes to protect itself:

Note: saying how something happens involves describing all the steps

Play with the map of the world by sliding the double-arrowed circle.

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Explain how the relationship between skin color and UV radiation provides evidence that
this trait evolved by natural selection:

Your friend, who tans easily, argues that it’s great to get a tan because darker skin
pigmentation offers lots more protection from damaging UV radiation, so he’s keeping
himself safe. Write a response to convince him otherwise: