• Question: Why do we have freckles?

    Asked by to Lilly, Alan, Deepak, Francesca, Nick on 18 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Francesca Day

      Francesca Day answered on 18 Mar 2014:

      Freckles are patches of skin that produce lots of melanin – the pigment that darkens our skin. I don’t think freckles have an evolutionary purpose – they appearance is probably a side effect of the fact that our skin has evolved to produce melanin to protect itself from sun damage. (This is why you get a tan if you go out in the sun!)

    • Photo: Alan Fitzsimmons

      Alan Fitzsimmons answered on 18 Mar 2014:

      I didn’t know, but I’ve just read Francesca’s answer and found out. Thanks!

    • Photo: Lilian Hunt

      Lilian Hunt answered on 19 Mar 2014:

      Francesca covers it here. It’s all about the melanin your skin cells make. Some people have the cells that make melanin (melanocytes) spread evenly over their skin. These people tan evenly. Other people have these melanocytes in clumps. They have clusters of cells that make the melanin pigment while the rest of their skin stays light (or turns red if they’re in the sun for too long!). These clumps of cells are your freckles and when they are exposed to sunlight they make more melanin 🙂

    • Photo: Nick Wright

      Nick Wright answered on 20 Mar 2014:

      Freckles are caused by a pigment called melanin which our bodies use to protect ourselves from ultraviolet radiation from the Sun – kind of like sun cream!

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