Which statement about melanosomes and melanocytes is false?

Which statement about melanosomes and melanocytes is false?

• A. Melanosomes produce melanocytes that contain the pigment melanin.
• B. Melanocytes are pigment-producing cells in the skin.
• C. Melanin gives color to skin and hair.
• D. Melanosomes are organelles that store melanin within melanocytes.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is how pigment is produced and stored in skin cells. Melanocytes are the cells that make pigment, and they do this inside their melanosomes, which are the organelles that synthesize and store melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives color to skin and hair, and melanosomes reside within melanocytes to hold that pigment before it’s transferred to surrounding cells. So the statement that melanosomes produce melanocytes is incorrect because melanosomes don’t create the pigment-producing cells; they are the storage/synthesis compartments inside those cells. The other statements are accurate: melanocytes are pigment-producing cells; melanin provides color to skin and hair; and melanosomes store melanin within melanocytes.

The main idea is how pigment is produced and stored in skin cells. Melanocytes are the cells that make pigment, and they do this inside their melanosomes, which are the organelles that synthesize and store melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives color to skin and hair, and melanosomes reside within melanocytes to hold that pigment before it’s transferred to surrounding cells.

So the statement that melanosomes produce melanocytes is incorrect because melanosomes don’t create the pigment-producing cells; they are the storage/synthesis compartments inside those cells. The other statements are accurate: melanocytes are pigment-producing cells; melanin provides color to skin and hair; and melanosomes store melanin within melanocytes.